Troy and Gabriella
by Rac4hel414
Summary: East High and West High. Two rival schools who never interact. When two brave students - each from a different school - feel the need to be together, they must trust that their relationship is strong enough for anything. Full summary inside.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my new story :)  
**

**Title: Troy and Gabriella**

**Authors: WiLdCaTgIrL414 and HSMandChelseaFCfan**

**Full summary: East High and West High. Two rival schools with students who never ineract with people from the other school. When Gabriella Montez - a beautiful and intelligent West High student - nearly drowns in the local lake, Troy Bolton - the East High basketball captain - rescues her. They soon realise it's impossible to stay away from each other and begin a secret relationship - only their mothers knowing. With everyone around them so against them being together and with college just on the horizon, they must stand up and face the music, trusting that their bond is strong enough to withhold anything.**

**Don't own HSM x

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Prologue

Troy Bolton glared viciously at his opponent. It wasn't an official basketball game, exactly. Or at all actually. It was nine thirty on Friday night and he and his friends had come across _them_. _Them_ being their rivals. Their enemies. Basically trouble. They were West High Knights. They literally hadn't said a word to each other but as long as they were within a ten feet radius of the other, a fight would surely break out. And if it wasn't a fight, which they saved for when they were no where near either campus, it was a game where it was guaranteed that someone – Troy refrained from thinking the name – would get a little too competitive and a fight would break out anyway.

Troy lifted his chin and a strangled growl escaped his throat. It had started out as a game, honestly it did. But…as always, as the game was drawing to a close and Carl Montez – West High's basketball captain – had realised that they were losing, a fight had broken out.

"Come on, Knight. Bring it on. I'm sure a damsel in distress is waiting to be rescued from me." Troy snarled sarcastically.

Carl glared from under his dark bangs at Troy's mocking of West High's mascot. "Guess what? Wildcats aren't the fiercest feline in the jungle. That title belongs to lions. Do your research."

"But, we have a bigger roar than you. And a bigger trophy." Troy's best friend, Chad Danforth, added from his stand-off position opposite one of Carl's many brothers, Landon. Landon – as all the Montez men had bee – West High's basketball captain.

"You better watch it, Danforth." Landon hissed. "You haven't got the trophy yet. It's anybody's."

"Have the last three years meant nothing to you?" Jason Cross, another of Troy's friends, asked sarcastically. "One year left before the class of two thousand and nine won the basketball championships for the full four years of their high school education."

Carl growled. "Please. There is no way you'll win. The Knights will make the mother of all comebacks."

"You want to bet on it?" Chad challenged.

"Hell yeah, we do!" Zeke Baylor, Carl's best friend who had been silent until now, exclaimed.

Carl's cell phone suddenly started ringing and the six teenagers froze. He looked at the caller ID and groaned, slowly flipping it open. "Hey, Bells. What's up?" He asked carefully.

Troy, Chad and Jason snickered at the angry female voice on the end. "Mommy wants you home?" Troy asked patronizingly.

"No, no, no, Bells. Please. We'll be home soon." Carl pleaded.

Landon rolled his eyes at Troy. "Why would he call our mom 'Bells'?"

Troy shrugged. "You have a disturbing relationship with her?"

Carl sighed. "Okay, so maybe we are about to fight some Wildcats. I'm sorry, Bells. We're sorry. We'll be home soon, I promise." He hung up and thrust his phone back into his pocket. He turned to Zeke and Landon and sighed. "Bella wants us home."

"Now?" Landon exclaimed.

Carl nodded. "Unfortunately." He turned back to Troy and glared. "Be thankful this ends now. You'd be in hospital within five seconds."

"Of course." Jason muttered sarcastically.


	2. I want him to be proud of me

**A/N: Ummmm...To clear some thing sup for you all:**

**Wildcats:**

**Troy**

**Chad**

**Taylor**

**Jason**

**Kelsi**

**Knights:**

**Gabriella**

**Zeke**

**Sharpay**

**Ryan**

**Martha**

**I hope that clears some things up :)**

**Don't own HSM x

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**

Chapter 1 – I want him to be proud of me

**(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

Gabriella Montez stood looking at the three boys in front of her furiously. The number of times she had seen this exact scene was too often to count. "How many more times is this going to happen? It's pathetic, so can't you just let it go?"

Carl scoffed at his twin sister. "Sis, this is not only the Knights reputation we're defending, but the Montez name."

Landon then spoke up, adding to what his brother said. "Bella, if a Bolton won then our life would be unbearable; it just isn't something that can ever happen."

Shaking her head in anger, she stomped off to the downstairs bathroom and pulled out the worn looking First Aid kit. It was clear it was regularly used and Gabriella could feel her fury building up inside herself again. It was always the same, her brothers and friends got caught up in a fight with a Wildcat and before she knew it, she was cleaning up their wounds for them knowing if she didn't, they wouldn't.

Entering the kitchen, she saw Carl, Landon and one of her close friends and her twin's best friend, Zeke Baylor, talking about what happened again. Zeke was staying with her family whilst his family were on a world cruise; not that she or anyone of her family minded because Zeke was one mean cook, not that he told many people. The three of them were idiots when it came to making sure they 'protect their rep'.

"Landon, sit down now because you're first as your wounds look the worst." Gabriella snapped as she placed the first aid kit on the island and opened it.

Landon rolled his eyes at her. "They're nothing. It's just a scratc-" Before he could finish his sentence, he hissed as Gabriella placed a cloth with antiseptic liquid on over his worst wound which was just above his eye. "Jeez, sis, a little warning would have been nice."

Gabriella glared at him. "I don't do nice with you when you brought these on yourself."

Landon just ignored his sister's comment. "I'm not sure you're a true Montez or Knight the way you never support us. Everyone else in the family and school support us."

After cleaning the first wound, Gabriella moved to the next one. "No they don't. Mom hates the idea of you guys fighting and I'm getting sick of lying to her." She whispered.

Carl decided to join in the conversation. "Like we've said, what she doesn't know doesn't hurt her."

Gabriella threw the cloth down in anger as she picked up a plaster, ripping open the outside violently. "Yes, but what would she think, if she did find out? You really think she'll never find out? She probably already knows from the scars you guys have and she does work at a hospital so she's not stupid as to how you get scars like you guys get."

Landon looked at his younger sister and sighed. "Bells, you're taking this whole thing way too seriously. Chill out. We know what we're doing."

Continuing her rant, she moved over to Zeke after cleaning Landon's wounds. "Landon, you're at U of A and yet you're still more interested in fights between high school students than growing up. How many more times are you guys going to come home like this? Because I know one day I'm not going to be here to cover your back because I'm sick and tired of covering up fights of Knights versus Wildcats."

"Nothing bad has ever happened, Bella, just a few cuts and bruises. We do it to protect you, too; you don't hear the things they say about you because you are our sister and you know how we feel when someone bad mouths you. If fighting them keeps you safe, too, we'll carry on fighting until this is over." Carl said, trying to make it sounds like they did it for her knowing how she always found it sweet when they stuck up for her.

Shaking her head at her twin, Gabriella retaliated again. "It's not going to work this time, Carl. If you were really doing it to protect me then you would have stopped a long time ago, knowing how much I hate you guys fighting. Yes, nothing bad has ever happened before but say it does, and it's one of you that gets seriously injured, or worse, dead, how am I going to cope? What would Mom say if she knew I knew about the fighting but didn't do anything to stop it? She would hate me and I refuse to be blamed for this idiotic reputation you want to protect."

Carl threw his head back in annoyance. "How many times, it's not an idiotic reputation when so much rides on us being successful Knights."

Moving to start on Zeke's wounds, she then turned her attention to him. "And you. What would your parents think if they found out you'd been fighting again? Don't you think they have already made it very clear how they feel about you fighting? Just be glad they are away in who knows what country because otherwise I would be on the phone right now for them to come over and ground your sorry little ass."

Before Zeke could reply, another voice spoke up. "What's happened?"

The four turned to see Greg Montez, Gabriella, Carl and Landon's father, standing in the doorway. "Hey, Daddy." Gabriella muttered, knowing what would happen next.

"Hey Sweetie." He kissed his only daughter's forehead.

Gabriella hugged her dad before turning and glaring at her brothers and Zeke. "Well?"

Landon, being the oldest, spoke up. "We got into a fight with the Wildcats."

Greg suddenly smiled. "And what happened?"

Carl shrugged. "Nothing. We got interrupted before it could really start."

Gabriella ignored the glare she was receiving as Greg nodded. "Well done. Just make sure they know who is boss next time. Wildcats are due to pay for their cheating ways."

The three boys nodded. "Don't worry, Dad, we got it all under control." Carl assured him.

Smiling proudly at Landon, Greg looked confused at his daughter who let out a loud groan and pushed past him and disappeared upstairs. "What's up with her?"

"She's just being a girl again, Dad. You know what she's like." Carl explained as the three carried on talking about how they were going to defeat the Wildcats.

***

Gabriella slammed her bedroom door shut. How could their dad praise them for getting into fights? Wasn't a father supposed to ground their kids if they got into a fight, not encourage it? Looking towards the basket in the corner of her room, she walked over to it and sat down beside it, stroking her sleeping dog, Daisy, a three year old German Shepherd. "I've finally had enough, Daisy." The dog's ears perked up upon hearing her owner's voice. "If they get into another fight, I'm not covering up for them again when Mom asks what's happened. They obviously don't care about how I feel about them fighting so why should I care about helping them out?"

Gabriella remained on the floor as Daisy rested her head over her owner's arm while Gabriella stared out her balcony windows, watching as dusk changed to evening, knowing that whatever happened tomorrow, she was determined not to give into her brothers again. No, tomorrow would be the start of a new day and a new beginning.

* * *

**(A/N: This is me)**

Troy glanced at Jason and then Chad. He took a deep breath and then shifted his gaze back to his mother, Lucille Bolton; Chad's girlfriend, Taylor McKessie; and his best girl friend in the world, Kelsi Nielson. They all looked furious and even Kelsi who was usually timid and shy was clearly blazing with anger.

"Why would you fight them, _again_?" Lucille exclaimed, a hand on her hip.

Kelsi walked over and sat next to Jason. It was obvious to everyone that she had a long-term crush on him but he was oblivious. "Jase, you could've gotten hurt."

"But, we didn't. Doesn't that count for something?" Chad exclaimed.

Troy groaned and leaned his head back. "Dude!"

Taylor – the most beautiful African-American girl anybody had ever seen – glared back at her boyfriend of two years. "Don't even go there, okay? I get it that not one of us like the Knights but why do you go searching for trouble?"

Lucille raised her eyebrows as her husband and Troy's father, Jack Bolton, walked into the room. "Don't say one word to them."

"What?" He exclaimed in confusion.

"They've been fighting Knights." Lucille exclaimed. "As it was, one of the Knights' sister wanted them back home before it could get serious." She glared at her only son and sighed. "This can't keep going on. College is coming up and none of you can afford this kind of trouble.

Troy suddenly grinned as his German shepherd, Blitzen, bounded into the room and skidded to a halt in front of Troy. "Hey, Blitzen!"

Lucille threw her hands up into the air. "Oh, my goodness! Troy David Alexander Bolton," She saw her son flinch at his full name, "you are in so much trouble, you won't see daylight until you go to college."

"Calm down, Luce," Jack said softly, walking over to his wife.

"I said the same thing to you when we were in high school." She pointed out before she turned back to her son. "Grounded for two weeks. No friends over, no TV, no basketball other than training, understood?"

"No basketball?" He whined. "Can I still listen to music?"

"Yes. But, if I can hear it, then you won't." She said quietly. "Boys, I might sound a little harsh but I care about you. You could've gotten hurt."

Troy stroked Blitzen's head and nodded. "I know, Mom. It's just that," He broke off and got to his feet. He walked out of the house and to the back yard. Blitzen dutifully followed his owner and Troy smiled softly down at the dog. "I'm going somewhere you can't come. Sorry, Buddy." He jogged over to the tree in his backyard and began climbing the familiar wooden ladder up to the tree house he helped Jack built when he was four years old. He sat down on the decking surrounding the actual house and swung his legs over the edge. He looked down and chuckled to himself when he saw Blitzen lying protectively at the bottom of the ladder. It wasn't like he would do much damage if Troy was in danger – he was the stupidest dog out there.

Troy let out a tiny groan as he spotted his mother exit the house and walk towards the tree. He loved Lucille immensely. He'd never admit it to anyone other than Lucille or Kelsi, but he loved spending time with her. She always knew what was on his mind and when something was bothering him. She always knew just what to say to make him feel better. When his dad was out and his friends were busy, he'd help her cook dinner – granted, she wouldn't let him near the cooker since he nearly burnt the house down but he still helped.

Lucille stepped over Blitzen and began climbing the ladder. She sat next to her son and took his hand. "You okay?"

He nodded and sighed. "He's doing it again." He muttered.

"U of A?" She whispered.

Troy nodded and sighed. "Mom, I swear I didn't mean to start a fight this afternoon. But, whenever I see a Knight, I just…"

"You don't want to disappoint your father?" She asked quietly, brushing some bangs out of her son's eyes.

Troy nodded. "I don't know how to tell him that I don't want to choose just basketball." He turned his head to face Lucille and sighed. "I want to choose theatre, too, and so many colleges offer that combination."

Lucille kissed his forehead and sighed. "Troy, you won't disappoint him."

"Mom, all my life he's told me how much I've got to hate Knights. And I started to. Until I found out that Montez is going to U of A next fall. It made me realise that I only hate them because I'm expected to, you know?" He whispered. "I haven't talked about this to anyone else, Mom."

She nodded in understanding and sighed. "Honey, I remember when I was a Wildcat. It was exactly the same. No one knows why the schools hate each other, it's just known that they do."

"But, why should I hate someone I don't even know? Dad would kill me if he knew I was thinking like this." He whispered.

"I know this is a confusing time, now that you're a senior, but you can't let anyone affect the choices you make. I've seen you on that stage in those shows. Troy, just reach for it and know that I'll always be there. I make no promises for your father." She laughed softly and touched his cheek.

"But, my friends…They just expect me to go to U of A like them." He exclaimed. "The more they push into it, the less I want to go."

"It'll turn out okay." Lucille promised. "Sometimes you just need someone to have a little faith in you. I do."

He smiled softly and looked around them at the tree house. "Thanks, Mom. I'm still grounded, aren't I?"

Lucille nodded. "Yeah. But, just because everyone expects you to do one thing, doesn't mean you should."

* * *

"Take that, you low life scum!" Landon exclaimed as he shoved Carl with his shoulder, his thumbs and fingers working furiously on the controller.

"Not a chance." Carl growled.

"You're both going down." Zeke exclaimed from the other side of the oldest Montez brother.

Gabriella groaned and pulled the cushion which was lying in her lap across her face. Why were males so hypnotised by video games? If it wasn't enough that they had no organisational skills whatsoever, they were totally addicted to the T.V. Gabriella had finally dismounted her high horse and gathered enough self-control to return downstairs without slapping anyone within a five feet radius. Greg had slipped into his office to complete some work, leaving Gabriella in charge even though she was the youngest. But, in all honesty, how would she do that when it was impossible to gain their attention and when she was still incredibly mad at them?

Gabriella heard the front open and close and smiled as she got to her feet. She walked in front of the T.V. screen especially slow, earning simultaneous groans from the three males. She smirked to herself. They knew too well not to say anything when she was so angry like this.

She entered the kitchen and smiled at her mother, Maria. "Hola, Mami."

Maria set her stuff on the island and smiled at her only daughter. "Hola, mi hija. Do I want to know why you're mad?"

She shook her head and hopped gracefully onto one of the island stools. "How many lives did you save today?"

Maria laughed and shook her head. "I don't save lives everyday, Gabby."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "Mom, you do, actually. Or at least you make someone's life better."

Maria walked over and sat next to Gabriella. "Have you checked the mail today?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No. I thought you got it this morning."

Maria nodded and reached into her bag. "This is for you."

Gabriella accepted the white envelope and gasped at the return address. "Stanford?"

Maria nodded excitedly. "Come on, open it up."

Gabriella fumbled with the envelope and tore it open. She pulled several pieces of paper out and scanned the page. Tears began leaking from the corners of her eyes as she held a shaking hand to her mouth. "Mom, I'm in."

Maria hugged her daughter tightly. She pulled back and wiped her daughter's cheek with a Kleenex tissue. "I'm so proud of you, mi hija."

Gabriella took a deep breath and handed the letter to Maria. "They're considering me for their freshman honour's programme, too."

"Really?" Maria exclaimed excitedly.

"Mami, what am I going to tell Dad? What am I going to tell everyone? I think they'll notice when I leave for college early. And it's not even the college where everyone wants me to go." Gabriella cried quietly.

"Shhh…" Maria kissed Gabriella's forehead and held her daughter close. "You'll get to go to Stanford. And you'll be one of the best doctors out there. Your father just gets carried away."

"I want him to be proud of me." Gabriella whispered into her mother's shoulder.


	3. Something Better

**A/N: Hey :) I was quite proud of this chapter. Thank you, HSMandChelseaFCfan. What you wrote was fabulous :)**

**Don't own HSM x

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Chapter 2 – Something better

**(A/N: this is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

Gabriella walked into West High ahead of her brother and Zeke, knowing most likely the whole school would already be talking about the latest Wildcats versus Knights showdown last night.

"Hey sweetie." A high pitched voice sounded in her left ear.

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she turned to see her best friend. "Hey, Shar." Sharpay Evans had been Gabriella's best friend since they started at West High. The two had instantly clicked after sharing a mutual dislike over the obsession the school had with basketball and their reputation of fights with Wildcats. Plus they were both one half of twins with the other half being males. Only in Gabriella's case, she didn't have any influence over what her brother does. "Hey, Ryan, Martha."

"Hey, Gabs." Ryan Evans was Sharpay's twin – something Gabriella felt sorry for knowing how much of a drama queen her best friend was – and his girlfriend Martha Cox who was on the scholastic decathlon team with Gabriella and also in the school's drama club. The four of them were probably the four most popular people in school after Zeke and Carl as Gabriella was a Montez and Sharpay was the resident ice queen to anyone who wasn't in her circle of friends.

"I take it that it is true then from your bad mood?" Sharpay commented as Ryan and Martha walked off to their lockers, knowing they would meet up again in homeroom.

Gabriella rolled her eyes at the thought. "Yes, it's true. I tell you they are a bunch of idiots who are too proud to actually let their stupid ego go and finish these petty fights." The anger in her voice could be heard.

"Looking good, Montez." Gabriella and Sharpay rolled their eyes; Gabriella was forever getting comments from random people just because of her name and the fact her brothers were practically legends in the history of the knights.

"Beat it, Loser." Sharpay yelled as Gabriella tugged on her arm and pulled her further down the corridor. "You've got to stop covering for them, Gabs. I can see how much it's killing you having to keep getting caught up in all their deceit. You shouldn't have to cover up for them, even if you are their sister."

Gabriella shrugged. "I know that and I'm determined to stop but Carl reckons it's not just the Knights' reputation they are protecting but the Montez name because apparently Bolton winning would be unbearable." Gabriella shrugged slightly.

Sharpay scoffed. "Please. How petty do guys have to be? Was Zeke roped in again?"

Gabriella shook her head in amusement. It was obvious Sharpay had a crush on Zeke even if she would never admit it and only ever seemed like she was using him for his delicious mouth watering cookies. "Yes he was but I'm convinced Zeke only does it because Carl does it and if he didn't, he'd probably be forced from the team."

The two rounded the corner to see Carl and Zeke surrounded by their teammates and a load of other people who were interested in hearing the latest gossip on what happened; Carl and Zeke obviously emphasising the story to their advantage. The teachers had stopped asking about the cuts and bruises the players were covered in a long time ago because most of the teachers, who tried to discourage the fighting in public, tended to get ignored as the principal and most teachers secretly wanted the Wildcats to pay for their antics over the years. Plus it was obvious to anyone who lived in Albuquerque of the ongoing feud between the Montez's and the Bolton's. "Yo, Sis, Blondie."

Sharpay glared at Carl who always referred to her as Blondie. "One day I'm going to kill your brother."

The two just ignored him as they reached their lockers. "Be my guest. I'll even help you if he continues the way he has been with this stupid feud. You know I don't even know why our families are supposedly arch rivals because we don't even know them apart from Troy."

"Just think in a few months, high school will be over and we'll never have to think about this stupid rivalry again. We'll both be miles away from here, you at Stanford and me at Juilliard finding out that there is actually a decent world out there." Sharpay encouraged, placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

Gabriella smiled at the thought as the letter she'd received came into mind once again. She'd confided in Sharpay about how she had applied to Stanford because she knew Sharpay was the only other person who would understand why she wanted to go to Stanford. "Shar, I got a reply."

The blonde beside her slammed her locked shut in shock and looked eagerly at the brunette. "Well what did they say?"

Smiling at the look on Sharpay's face, she replied. "I got in. They're even considering me for their freshman honour's programme."

"No way! Gabs, this is amazing. Just think you could be gone even sooner if you get on." Sharpay exclaimed.

"Shh. I don't want Carl or anyone to hear you." Gabriella said hurriedly in a quiet voice.

Sharpay gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry. But this is so cool, Gabs."

"Maybe." Before Sharpay could ask her what that meant, the bell rang and they made their way along with the rest of their fellow knights to their assigned homerooms.

***

Troy hurried down the stairs hearing the honk from the car outside; as always, he was running late after an early morning workout with his father, which had been cut short after his mom caught the two. Most mornings, Troy's best friend and fellow Wildcat, Chad Danforth, usually picked his girlfriend Taylor Mckessie and then Troy up, so they could arrive together. Every now and then Troy would take himself so he could get away from the love birds but it proved useful being with Chad when Knights turned up at their school looking for a fight early morning or to protect his friend's girlfriend.

Running past his Mom, he placed a kiss on her cheek and grabbed an apple from the table. "See you later, Mom."

"Be careful, Honey, and remember you're grounded so straight home after school." Lucille warned.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom." Opening the door, he stepped outside and then slammed the door behind him and headed towards Chad's car. Slipping into the front seat, chucking his bag on the floor he greeted his friend. "Morning guys."

Chad pulled away from the Bolton's large house. "Dude, you get out of being grounded yet?"

Before Troy could answer the question, Taylor shoved the back of Chad's head. "You guys deserve to be grounded. One of these days you will get seriously injured in one of these stupid fights." Turning to Troy, she smiled. "Morning, Troy."

"Morning, Tay. How you doing?" Taylor had become like a sister to Troy since she started dating Chad as she was one of the few people who he could actually talk to about anything without feeling pressurised. There weren't many girls he could do that with as most were too obsessed with the fact he was Troy Bolton.

Taylor smiled. "I'm good. Annoyed you guys nearly got into another fight still but I'm good now. Just promise me you'll at least try and stay out of their way next time because I don't want you guys to get hurt and then wreck your chances of playing and beating them."

"We'll stay out of their way as long as they stay out of ours." Chad answered.

Troy nodded in agreement with Chad and carried on defending their actions. "Tay, if they start something then we're going to finish it because if we don't, you don't understand what it'll be like to let them even think they have won."

Taylor rolled her eyes knowing that nothing she said would be good enough to get them to stop.

***

Troy arrived at school and was instantly hit by a crowd of people wanting to know what happened. This always happened when news spread of a Wildcats versus Knights fight but to be honest, Troy was getting sick of this. He was sure they'd all got the full story by now because it never took long for news to spread as well as the full details. Did people really need to ask him what happened again?

Chad led Taylor ahead, knowing how much she hated crowds as Troy ignored people, just giving them a slight nod here and there before reaching his locker where Jason Cross, a fellow teammate and close friend stood, along with Kelsi, Chad and Taylor. The five of them were close friends and the three boys would do anything to protect the girls. It was like an unspoken pact they had.

**(A/N: This is me)**

"Hey, Kelsi." Troy greeted the petite, auburn haired girl as he hugged her.

She smiled as she pulled back. "Hey, Troy. How are you?"

"Bored out of my head at home." He muttered, opening his locker.

"It's your own fault." Taylor replied in a sing-song voice.

"I know. You keep telling me." Troy replied in the same voice. He took a few books out of his backpack and then threw his bag to the back of his locker.

Jason chuckled. "Has your mom let up at all?"

Troy laughed sarcastically as he shut his locker. "My mom. No way. It's like you've never met her."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Dude, this is Jase we're talking about."

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed, hitting Chad over the head.

Kelsi giggled. "So, when are you officially ungrounded?"

Troy shrugged. "Well, I'm grounded for two weeks, so whenever that is. The only time I'm allowed out of the house is school and to take Blitzen on a walk. And that can only last fifteen minutes."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "In my opinion,"

"I don't want your opinion." Troy interrupted.

"Well, tough. I'm giving it." Taylor proclaimed. "In my opinion, I think college will do you some good."

"Why?" Chad asked from beside his girlfriend.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You all need to get over this whole rivalry thing. All it's doing is causing trouble. What's Carl's sister called?"

Troy, Chad and Jason all looked away in embarrassment. "Eliza, maybe?" Chad mumbled.

His girlfriend rolled her eyes. "You slag her off all the time and you don't even know her name. She's called Gabriella."

"How do you know?" Troy exclaimed.

Taylor sighed. "She's the captain of West High's scholastic decathlon team. Exactly like I'm the captain of East High's scholastic decathlon team."

Jason frowned. "So, she's like a Knight version of you?"

"I guess…" Taylor said unsurely.

Thankfully, the bell rang and Troy rolled his eyes. "Well, let's get to homeroom before we have detention. Darbus won't be happy if we're late because _somebody_ was busy doing his hair." He glared at Chad.

"Hey, it needed fixing." Chad defended.

"Troy, you see, you just walk away and Chad follows." Taylor explained slowly.

"That's easy for you to say, he acts like a lost puppy around you!" Troy exclaimed. He was just thankful that one conversation about Wildcats was over. If he heard one more word about this stupid feud, he might punch something.

* * *

Gabriella stalked out of the gym and into the girls' locker room. She kicked the nearest set of lockers and groaned. How could her father be so certain of her future when she hadn't spoken a word to him about college? When she was a little girl and saw her brothers at the Red Hawk games, yeah, she wanted to go. But, when she saw Maria at work, something in her head clicked and she _needed_ to go to Stanford. The University of Albuquerque was so unbelievably insignificant now that it was barely worth her thoughts.

"You okay?" A soft voice asked.

Gabriella dropped onto one of the benches running down the middle of the aisle and sighed as Sharpay joined her. "No. I'm not. My dad just mentioned how proud he was that I'm going to U of A in front of _the entire basketball team_. You know, I would probably get a better reaction from him if I told him I was pregnant."

Sharpay smiled sympathetically and held her friend's hand. "It'll work out. You've got me and your mom behind you. And I'll bet if you give your dad half a chance, he'd say the same."

Gabriella shook her head. "My dad? No way. You don't hear him when he talks about me and Carl. It's like he forgets that I'm his daughter and not another son."

Sharpay pulled her into a hug and sighed. "Gabby, you have to stop thinking like this." She whispered. "You'll never get to Stanford unless you stop." She pulled back and gave her friend a stern look. "Gabriella, you need to stop thinking about your dad and just reach for your dream. I'm going to Juilliard, Ry's going to U of A, Martha's going to Yale and Zeke's going to Ohio Valley. But, always be together. And you'll always have us. Just stop thinking of your dad in all of this."

Gabriella nodded lifelessly. "You know, I never thought I'd want to leave Albuquerque. I thought I'd want to stay here forever. I mean, I've always wanted to go to Stanford, but I thought it would be really hard to say goodbye. But, it's not. I need to just get out of this feud. It's been going on for too long and I'm sick of everyone idolising my brothers because of the size of their egos and the fights they get into with Wildcats!"

"I know, I know." Sharpay soothed, rubbing her friend's back. "But, once we're out of here, you'll see the real world, and there are so many better things than basketball."

* * *

"Good job, Bolton." Jack hollered as the ball fell gracefully through the net.

Troy clenched his jaw. If he heard his last name come from his father's mouth one more time he would grab the weights from the corner of the gym and throw them into his own head. He forced a smile at his dad and caught the ball before it hit the ground. "Thanks, Dad." He bounce passed the ball to Jason – who was on the opposing team – who took his place at the back line.

"You okay, Man?" Chad asked worriedly as his best friend passed him.

Troy nodded and stood on the other half of the court, ready to defend the basket. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Chad eyed him suspiciously. All morning, whenever a conversation about Wildcats came up, he would persuade Kelsi to let him see her latest compositions and would sit there, reading the pieces of paper with his mouth moving silently. Something was wrong. Troy had always liked music and the theatre and – Chad mentally shuddered at the though – Ms Darbus for some unknown reason. But, he had never been so absorbed in it before.

But, what could he do? They were already in the gym practicing – nothing against his mom's rules.

He used to think he was Troy's best friend but…what kind of best friend was he if he didn't know what was up with Troy? Usually, a quick ball game and Troy was back to his happy-go-lucky and take-life-as-it-come self. He hadn't been the Troy Chad met in kindergarten since the beginning of their senior year.

Chad shook the thoughts out of his head as soon as Jack yelled, "Danforth, get'cha head in the game!"

Chad swiftly caught the flying basketball hurtling towards him with a practiced ease and dribbled it back towards the basket. "Sorry, Coach." He yelled in apology.

Troy accepted the pass his best friend was offering and threw the ball successfully into the net again. "And you say I'm not okay." He nudged Chad's shoulder and grinned.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Dream on, Hoops."

Jason approached, breathing heavily. "Both of you are going down today. You are so not going to win."

Troy whacked his friend's head. "Does it matter which team wins today? As long as I get that big championship trophy in my arms, you could win all you want. Besides, we're all on the same team at the end of the day."

Chad laughed. "Those Knights are going down."

"Hell yeah!" Jason exclaimed.

"HAT TEAM?" Chad hollered, gaining the attention of all the other players.

"WILDCATS!" Everyone chorused.

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!"

"WILDCATS!"

"GET'CHA HEAD IN THE GAME!"

Troy managed a small smile to his friends and teammates as he pushed through their excitement and jogged over to the bleachers for his water bottle. He took a long gulp of the cool liquid and sighed. He was not looking forward to the Wildcats versus Knights championship game coming up in a month. Facing Montez would be trouble – on and off the court – as always.

"Bolton, work on those lay-ups tonight but good effort." Jack smiled down at his son.

Troy screwed the cap back onto his water bottle and sighed. It was never 'Well done, Troy' it was always 'Nice try, Bolton'. He was beginning to believe that his name was purely Bolton – like Heathcliff in _Wuthering Heights_. He wouldn't tell anyone – except Kelsi and Lucille – that after having to do an English assignment in his sophomore year, _Wuthering Heights_ was, ultimately, Troy Bolton's favourite book.

He snapped out of his thoughts and sighed. "Dad, I have to take Blitzen out straight after school and then I have homework."

"Oh, that'll be fine. I'll sort it out." Jack dismissed.

"Dad, I need this. This is part of my final grade in drama and it means a lot to me. I'll practice lay-ups tomorrow morning." Troy muttered before he jogged out of the gym and to the boys' locker room.

Damn his father and Chad and Jason and the Knights. Damn basketball. Damn everyone. He was going to take Blitzen for a twenty minute jog and then do his drama homework – an essay comparing Tennessee Williams' _A Streetcar Named Desire _and _Cat on a Hot Tin Roof_. In all honesty, it wouldn't take him all that long. He loved both of the plays and had already drawn up lists of points to compare.

But, why was the entire world – slight exaggeration? – obsessed with basketball? The world didn't revolve around basketball! There were other things important in life. And he saw it. Ever since he was a kid, basketball meant everything to him. Until four years ago when he was on death's door.

He had come down with a severe case of appendicitis and they had only _just_ managed to save him. That gave him a different view on life. After his operation, he dropped into a mild depression which resulted in his ownership of Blitzen – no one but Lucille knew he thought of him as his baby. He couldn't live without his faithful companion.

After gaining Blitzen, he soon realised that basketball didn't have to be everything. And it shouldn't be everything. There was family and friends…helping people. During the summer vacation, he had volunteered every year at the local hospital to help ill and disabled children to play their own versions of basketball. He was incredibly patient with them and insisted that the parents did nothing for him in return.

Troy punched the nearest locker and groaned in pain and annoyance. Maybe someday he could convince everyone that the theatre was the right path for him. It wasn't like he was going out with a Knight. He hadn't lost his mind completely.


	4. Figure it out

**A/N: The same with 'promises you weren't around to keep', this was done days ago but I couldn't log in :(**

**Don't own HSM x

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Chapter 3 – Figure it out

Troy tugged on Blitzen's leash. "Blitzen, Mom is going to kill me if we're late. She said fifteen minutes, tops."

Blitzen sniffed at the leaf which was apparently endangering Troy. The high school senior rolled his eyes. He loved Blitzen immensely, but when his chances of seeing daylight again were getting slimmer literally by the minute, Troy was beginning to hate his dog. He would pick up sticks and leaves and pretty much anything. And Troy, being the responsible person he was, paid the vets' bills himself and refused to pay money on Blitzen because he choked on a stick. So, Troy was the one who stopped their jog to kneel down and pull out whatever Blitzen had picked up from his throat.

Troy looked down on his dog and couldn't help but smile at the look Blitzen was sending him. He was sat down on his haunches, his tail slowly wagging back and fore and his brown eyes were shining with innocence. Blitzen did the same thing every time he did something which Troy disapproved of. Troy chuckled. It was almost as if he was saying 'Daddy, I'm sorry'.

Troy ruffled Blitzen's ears. "Its okay, Buddy. Just hurry up. I have an essay with my name on it and Dad's already annoyed with me. Come on." Troy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small bone-shaped treat. He threw it to Blitzen who caught it easily mid-air.

Troy chuckled and began his jog again. He was desperately hoping that Jack wasn't going to his room anytime soon. The University of Albuquerque had already accepted Troy on a full basketball scholarship. No drama or theatre or music…just…basketball. Something that was not acceptable anymore no matter what people said. So far, Lucille was the only one who knew his feelings towards the University of Albuquerque and he planned to keep it that way until the end of summer vacation when it would be too late for anyone to do anything about it.

He had done his research and had considered the Juilliard School in New York. But, although he didn't want basketball to run his life, he wanted it to still be there and so he quickly discarded the idea of Juilliard. He had narrowed it down to five colleges with good theatre and basketball classes.

The University of Southern California was famous throughout America for its sports department and Troy liked the arts department, too. New York University also had classes for Troy's fortes and he was more than happy with them. The University of Texas, Austin; Elms College and the University of California, Berkley, all had sports and arts department which sounded satisfying for him.

He was planning on sitting down with Lucille and looking through all of the application forms and prospectuses together and deciding on which one he should apply for. He felt slightly guilty about shutting out his father and friends but they shouldn't have pushed him into something he honestly didn't want.

It was so frustrating and bloody annoying to constantly think about the possible guilt he was feeling for going against his father's and friends' wishes. That guilt soon faded when a thought struck. One day, he could be on Broadway. He could be a Laker. He could be anything he wanted. It was his future.

The week that had past since his incident with Montez had caused him to just shrivel into a student who barely stayed awake during class, went to school because he had to and barely talked to anyone if he was spoken to. If anyone did actually speak to him – which was becoming less frequent – he nodded, shook his head or shrugged.

His conclusion was simple: damn everyone! It was his fucking future he could do what he fucking wanted. If he wanted to leave Albuquerque forever and never return, he could! If he wanted to go and marry a Knight, he bloody well would. Who the hell did Jack seriously think he was? He might be Troy's father but he wasn't Troy's decision maker!

Blitzen suddenly yelped and scurried back a few paces.

Troy came to a sudden halt at the dawning realisation of how he had dramatically sped up his jog to an intense run and then accidentally stepped on Blitzen's paw. "Oh, Buddy, I'm sorry." Troy pleaded, crouching down in front of the German shepherd. Troy ran his hand over Blitzen's back and sighed. "Daddy's just getting a bit angry and frustrated at the prospect of college." He suddenly grinned at the dog. "But don't you worry. You are number one on my list of luggage. You are definitely coming with me."

Blitzen's ears pricked at the obvious happiness in his owner's voice. He opened his mouth and licked Troy's cheek, his tail wagging furiously as he got to his four paws.

Troy laughed out loudly, his hands still resting on Blitzen's back. "Blitzen!" He gasped through his laughter. He finally managed to calm the dog down – Troy thanked the guy who discovered treat bribery – and Troy straightened up to his full height. "I love you too, Buddy." He ruffled the dog's ears one last time before they set off again.

Troy glanced down at Blitzen when he suddenly collided with something small and fragile-feeling. Blitzen yelped slightly at Troy's sudden stop and Troy hurriedly stepped back. "I'm so sorry."

The petite girl kept her head bowed, her hands holding a book open, and she continued on her way, only leaving an 'I'm sorry' behind.

Troy stared at her back. Her black curls were held up into a low ponytail, seemingly to stop them from falling into her eyes while she read. She was quite short and her legs looked to be actually tanned. Not the fake stuff the East High cheerleaders used. Her mid-thigh denim skirt showed off her slender legs even more and Troy cursed himself for not grabbing her and begging for her name while he had the chance.

He felt a tug on his arm and he looked down to see Blitzen tugging on the Leash. He growled at Troy's lack of momentum to get home.

"Stop growling at me." Troy exclaimed angrily. "You know better than that. I was just wondering what book she was reading."

Blitzen cocked his head to the side and growled again.

"Honestly!" Troy exclaimed. The dog might be stupid but he was definitely impatient.

* * *

**(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

Gabriella was on her way home, taking the longer route home through the park – a place she rarely went through since it was on the East High and Bolton side of town – as it was a nice day and she was in no rush to get home, knowing all the guys would be there. She just needed some time to herself and to relax. Even though a week had passed since her confrontation with her brothers and Zeke, she still felt like she was drowning in all the constant talk of basketball in the house. And if Carl, Landon, Zeke and Greg weren't talking about it, they were watching it on TV or outside in the backyard playing it.

Another thing that was still going round and round in her head was the letter she'd received from Stanford. Only Sharpay and her mom knew about the acceptance letter still and to make her feel even guiltier about wanting to go to Stanford, her dad was putting pressure on her to go to the University of Albuquerque. He had even gone as far as inviting the dean of U of A to dinner tonight, something he'd eagerly accepted since her father had just invested millions of dollars with an added contribution in the sports facilities department. He told them he wanted his children to have only the very best when they attended.

Flicking her page, her whole mind deeply intrigued by the book in front of her, she carried on walking when she felt herself collide with something solid. She'd been so fascinated by her book she didn't even hear the yelp that came from the side of her. "I'm so sorry." She heard the voice call.

Keeping her attention on her book, she moved around the person, muttering an, "I'm sorry," before she continued walking away. She was too eager to continue reading, even though she had read the book hundreds of times before since it was one her favourites, 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare, which was just coming up to some of the more interesting parts. She fell in love with the book after studying it a few years ago in her English class and had since dreamed that one day she would find her own Romeo who would sweep her off her feet and do absolutely anything for her if it meant they would be together.

Sighing at the memory, Gabriella knew it was unrealistic and she'd already given up hope of ever finding a guy like that since near enough all the guys she knew were nowhere near capable of being like that and like Sharpay said, 'you only get guys like that in a fairytale'. They both stuck together like that. And although it was obvious who Sharpay hoped was her Romeo, Gabriella was clueless. Gabriella had soon concluded that guys in Albuquerque only had one love: basketball.

Gabriella lifted her gaze from her book as she felt someone's eyes on her. Looking ahead she didn't see anything so she turned. Shrugging as she only saw the back of a guy with sandy coloured haired head and a dog next to him. She let her eyes linger a few minutes on the boy she assumed she must've bumped into and silently cursed herself for not getting a better look at him because judging him from looking at his behind, the front must have been a real something…well at least she hoped so.

She was brought back to her attention by her cell ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket, she rolled her eyes seeing Carl's number flash up. Ending the call as she wasn't in the mood to talk to him and knew if it was important he would leave a message or ring back, she shoved it back in her pocket. Seconds later and it started again and she saw it was Sharpay's number. "Hey, Shar." Gabriella had learnt a long time ago to never, ever, miss Sharpay's phone calls because she'd track you down before you've even ended the call and you would be in for a long lecture on whatever it was that was the latest incident for the day. Deciding it was much better to do it over the phone if she had to listen to Sharpay rant on because that way she could at least tune her out and put the phone down without her knowing.

The frantic voice came over the receiver. "Where the hell are you?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I'm out getting some fresh air. Why?"

"I've been calling your house and Carl told me that they didn't know where you were as you hadn't come home yet. I was worried." Although she could be a pain sometimes, you couldn't deny how much she cared about the people she was closest to.

"I just needed some time alone." Gabriella told her as the blonde sighed.

"Want to talk about anything?" She asked softly, knowing how much was on Gabriella's mind.

Smiling, the brunette spoke. "No thanks. I promise if I need to talk, you'll be the first person I call if I can't talk to my mom."

Knowing her friend was telling the truth, Sharpay changed the subject. "So where are you? Any decent guys where you are?"

Gabriella laughed. Sharpay was forever trying to set her up. "I'm just walking around downtown. No Shar, not really. There was one guy who had a cute butt but I missed his face."

"Well even if he has the ugliest face, we can always fix that with surgery and Daddy's card; it's an improvement from you ignoring guys because of your stupid obsession with reading. Gabs, you have to stop being such a nerd. As long as he's not a Wildcat, any guy would be lucky to have you."

***

Troy arrived home and tried to close the door as quietly as he could, trying not to let his mom hear him sneaking in. Turning to Blitzen, he placed a finger of his lips. "Shh. We don't want to get into anymore trouble." He bent down and took the leash from the collar.

Blitzen seemed to understand his owner and slowly followed behind Troy as the eighteen year old approached the stairs. "Troy Bolton!" Blitzen barked hearing Lucille's voice as Troy groaned.

"Yes, Mom?" Troy gave her an innocent smile as he descended the few stairs he'd climbed.

Lucille scowled. "Troy Bolton, we agreed fifteen minutes. You're nearly fifteen minutes late. Where on earth have you been?"

"I'm sorry, Mom. We just lost track of time is all." Troy muttered apologetically. "You know how distracted Blitzen gets."

Lucille shook her head. "Let it happen again while you're grounded and your father will have to walk Blitzen if I can't trust you."

Troy nodded. "I promise, Mom, it won't happen again. We were on our way back and we bumped into this girl." A slow blush spread across Troy's face as he continued. "Then I was the one who was distracted."

Shaking her head at her son, she let him know she wasn't impressed from her expression. "Once more and I'll be taking your keys and everything else until you can be trusted."

"Thanks, Mom. Love you." Troy hugged her gratefully before whistling to Blitzen who followed him up the stairs, his mind replaying the events of the afternoon and for some reason, thinking about the girl he bumped into once again. Hopefully he would see her again soon because it was the first time in a long time someone had ignored him, Troy Bolton, and it felt good.

**(A/N: This is me again)**

Troy pushed his bedroom door open, allowing Blitzen in first, and stepped inside. He let the door fall shut and rolled his eyes as Blitzen jumped onto his bed. He lay down and started pushing Troy's comforter around until he was buried under it.

"Blitzen!" Troy exclaimed as he pulled the comforter away and looked down on his pet. "This is my bed. Yours is over there!" He pointed at a large brown dog bed in the corner of the room piled high with dog toys.

Blitzen got to his feet and bounced over to Troy. He began licking Troy's neck and cheek, his tail wagging furiously. His ears were perked backwards – just how they were whenever he was excited.

"Blitzen!" Troy exclaimed, stepping away to begin folding his comforter. "One day, you'll learn." Troy placed the folded comforter at the end of his bed and then turned to Blitzen who lay down and rested his head between his two front paws, his eyes locked on Troy.

Troy smiled and ran his hand over Blitzen's head. He pulled his shirt over his head and threw it carelessly into his hamper. He shed his shorts and they followed his shirt into the hamper. He pulled out some black skinny jeans and white and blue striped shirt. He pulled his clean clothes on and walked over to his desk.

He picked up the pile of clean laundry he had carefully positioned on his desk – would anyone question a teenage boy's organisational skills? – and set them on his desk chair. He lifted the white envelope which laundry had been hiding. He pulled out the papers he had read seven times and sighed as the familiar words registered in his mind again.

"Mom?" Troy yelled.

Lucille opened the door and shrugged. "What is it, Honey? I was only across the hall."

Troy pulled his mother into his room and shut his door. "What should I do?"

Lucille sat on her son's bed and stroked Blitzen's back. "What do you mean?"

"They've accepted me. On a full basketball scholarship." Troy sank down next to Lucille and handed her the letter.

Lucille hugged Troy close to her and kissed his forehead. "You'll figure it out, Baby, I promise."

Troy nodded against her shoulder. "I guess." Troy straightened up and sighed. "You're not going to tell Dad are you?"

"Do you want me to?" His mother asked, running her fingers through her son's bangs.

"Hell no!" Troy exclaimed. "Well, not until I've decided which college to apply for. And for me. With theatre in it."

Lucille kissed Troy's cheek and handed the letter back. "You'll figure it out, Sweetheart. I know you will."

* * *

Gabriella walked through the front door and rolled her eyes at the first words she heard come from her father's excited mouth. "Gabriella is such a pro at basketball and is so excited about going to U of A next year."

Next year? She barely knew what she was having for dinner. And now she was such a pro at basketball _and_ going to the University of Albuquerque? It wouldn't even be as bad if her dad gave her the option to study something else apart from basketball. But, no. That didn't cross Greg Montez's mind when it came down to his children's education. It was all about damn basketball!

"I'm home." She called. Her book was still open in her hands and she slipped her shoes off.

"We're in the lounge, mi hija." Maria exclaimed loud enough for Gabriella to hear.

Gabriella bowed her head, her eyes gluing to the text once again. She honestly didn't care whether it was the Dean from the University of Albuquerque or the damn president of the United States, she would finish this scene! She shuffled through the hall, already knowing where the doorway was after many times walking whilst reading. She walked blindly through the kitchen and entered the lounge.

"Gabby…" Greg started in exasperation.

Gabriella held up a finger and continued reading, her mouth moving silently as her mind processed the words. A smile pulled at her lips at the romance of the scene. "I'll to the friar, to know his remedy: If all else fail, myself have power to die." She sighed silently as she closed her book – memorising the page number, of course – and looked up. Her eyes widened and she held back and annoyed groan.

A tall, dark haired and tanned man walked over and picked her up. "Hey, Sis, what's up?"

Gabriella giggled and jumped gracefully to the ground after she kicked his shin. "Danny! You can't do that every time you see me!"

"Why not?" Danny – the oldest Montez son - exclaimed, ruffling her hair.

"You're messing my hair up." She whined as she set her book on the coffee table. "Hey, Cody. How's Mel doing?" She asked, referring to her pregnant sister-in-law.

Cody, very similar to every other Montez male, approached and hugged his only sister. He was two years younger than Danny. "Great. She's doing fine. Pretty bad morning sickness but she doesn't mind."

"And Eddie…" She turned to the last of her brothers who didn't live in the house, "how's the gym doing?"

Eddie – one year younger than Cody – kissed Gabriella's cheek and smiled. "It's great."

Gabriella turned to Landon, Carl and Zeke. "I'm not going to ask how you guys are. But, what's the occasion?"

Maria stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her daughter. "Gabby, mi hija, you remember your father organising for Dean Russo to come by this evening. You know, the Dean of U of A." She shot Gabriella an apologetic look.

Gabriella nodded and cleared her throat slightly as she directed her attention to Greg and a plump man in a grey suit who she assumed was Dean Russo. "Of course I remember." _How could I forget this God-forsaken meeting?_

Dean Russo held his hand out towards Gabriella. "Your father tells me that you intend to follow in your brothers' footsteps."

Gabriella felt the blood drain from her face at his wording. She timidly shook his hand and nodded. "Of course. I just want my daddy to be proud of me." She dropped his hand and turned to look at Maria.

"Gabs, you okay? You look kind of pale." Danny asked worriedly.

Gabriella nodded slightly. "Yeah. I'm just going to get some water." She left the crowd of people in the lounge and leant against the counter by the sink. She was seriously contemplating taking her own joke seriously. Maybe she should get herself pregnant and then Greg would react half as bad when she told him about Stanford.

No matter which way she told everyone about Stanford, she'd be halfway to her death bed.


	5. Bad to worse

**A/N: Okay, I know for a fact that you guys will like this chapter :) Don't own HSM x

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Chapter 4 – Bad to worse

**(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

It was obvious that everyone else in the Montez household was awake; commotions could be heard downstairs in the kitchen and the thuds of the ball bouncing from outside. Last night, Gabriella had pulled off her act of not revealing her true feelings in front of Dean Russo; all the acting tips Sharpay had given her – well, enforced upon her, more like - finally paid off. Rather than disputing anything that was said, she just gave a fake smile and kept quiet, letting her father and five brothers do the talking. Eddie, who was probably most protective of her, had noticed how she was especially quiet. When questioned by him, she had simply said that she had stayed up too late reading and was tired.

Gabriella's eyes darted to the U of A prospectus on her desk along with a load of other forms filled with information on the basketball programme they ran; not that she needed anymore as she practically knew it inside out from her dad and brothers.

Walking over to Daisy's basket, she stroked the dog's head before clapping her hand on her leg to signal for her to follow her. "Come on, Daisy, we can't hide away up here all day."

Daisy barked at her owner and Gabriella smiled as the two walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Maria was cleaning the island counter. "Morning, Gabby."

Gabriella smiled as she kissed her mom on the cheek and sat down, Daisy running out the back door upon hearing the sound of the ball. That was another thing she loved about Daisy; she'd go and interrupt her brothers' basketball games as she wanted to play with them with the ball, causing her brothers strife most of the time. "Morning, Mom."

"You're up late." Maria noted as she raised her eyebrows at her daughter. "You okay, mi hija?"

Gabriella shrugged at her mom's comment as her father appeared from outside. "I couldn't sleep. Had a lot on my mind."

"Excited about the prospects of being at U of A after meeting Dean Russo?" Greg asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

Gabriella rolled her eyes while Greg's back was turned and her mom gave her a sympathetic look. "Sure, Dad."

Before Greg could say anymore, Carl, Landon and Zeke – the rest of her brothers had returned home the previous night – walked in from outside and Gabriella stood up. "Your dog just cost us the game." Landon grumbled, ruffling his sister's hair.

Gabriella smirked at Landon who was panting, sweat covering him. She pushed his hand away and poked her tongue out. "Daisy would do no such thing. She just wants to play that's all. Maybe she would leave you alone if you played with her more often."

Daisy let out a bark as she squeezed through all the males' legs and sat innocently at Gabriella's feet. "Sure, she looks all innocent now." Carl mumbled.

Gabriella just grinned at all of the males while her mom shook her head whilst grinning, knowing Gabriella knew full well what Daisy was like. "Well at least she doesn't smell as bad as you guys. You are stinking the house out. Please go and shower up." Maria shooed them out of the kitchen and turned to Gabriella once she heard Greg's office door close too. "Why do I get the feeling that you're feeling bad for lying about what you want?"

Shaking her head, Gabriella sat back down and sighed. "That's the problem. I don't feel guilty at all for lying to them. I just keep thinking the longer they don't know, the less time I'll have to be around them if they hate me."

Pushing her daughter's locks of hair back, she placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry about your father. I really have tried talking about what you want but he just shrugs me off and tells me I should stop trying to influence you in following a path that you shouldn't go down."

"Can we just forget about it? I'm so sick and tired of thinking about all this and only this." Gabriella exclaimed, looking pleadingly at her mother.

Nodding, Maria saw the frustration on her daughter's face and in her voice. "Why don't you go and get dressed and I'll sort you out some breakfast and Daisy's and then you can take her out for a long walk so you can clear your head?" Maria stroked Gabriella's hair and smiled slightly.

Thinking about it for a few seconds, Gabriella agreed. "Yeah I might just do that. I might call Shar after if that's ok? You're working later aren't you?"

"Yeah but I'm only doing half of my shift today since I covered for someone else last week." Maria told her as Gabriella nodded and jumped up from her seat – surprising Daisy slightly with the sudden action – and she then disappeared out of the room and back upstairs as she went to go and get dressed.

* * *

**(A/N: This is me :D)**

Troy tapped his pen rhythmically against his desk as he read and re-read the acceptance letter from U of A. Stupid Redhawks. Jack was acting like it was the only college in the world. Well, it wasn't. He had cancelled USC from his list as the arts department wasn't as great as the others. So now he was down to four.

Troy screwed the piece of paper up and threw it blindly into his trashcan. He looked over and rolled his eyes as he saw that it had gone in without even touching the rim. It was all so predictable. He could make every object he had go to the desired location without even looking. He was always known as the playmaker, the jock and the basketball guy.

Was it too much to ask to just be…a guy?

He pulled the prospectus for the University of California in Berkley towards him and opened it to the contents page. He flipped to page twenty-two: the arts. There was drama, music, choreography… Everything he loved about the theatre rolled into one programme! He had considered studying education, too, and becoming a sports and drama teacher. But, he feared that he would turn into whacky Ms Darbus and he wasn't going to turn into his father and hold a grudge against someone just because of what school they go to.

Troy jumped when he heard growling from the other side of his bedroom. He swivelled around in his desk chair to see Blitzen throwing one of his dog toys – a black and white teddy bear – up in the air and then growling at it as it hit the floor. He began getting into position as if he was going to pounce, his teeth bared.

Troy rolled his eyes and put his pen down. "Shall we go and ask Mom if we can go to the park for a bit?"

Blitzen barked at his toy and then began shaking it from side to side.

Troy got to his feet and pulled his denim jacket on. He whistled for Blitzen to follow him and the German shepherd dropped his duty of killing the bear and trotted off to his owner, his tail wagging furiously. Blitzen jumped onto his hind legs and placed his two front paws on Troy's torso. He began licking Troy's neck and cheek.

Troy laughed and pushed him down. "I love you, too, Buddy. Let's go and see if mom will let us out for a little longer today."

As Troy followed Blitzen into the lounge he saw Lucille curled up on the couch, reading a book. "Mom? Where's Dad?"

Lucille looked up from her book and smiled broadly at her only child. "Oh, he went to the mall, or something. He went to get another basketball."

Troy sank down next to her and groaned. "_Another_ one?"

Lucille nodded sympathetically. "Yeah."

Troy shrugged slightly. "Oh well. Is it okay if I take Blitzen to the park for an hour or so?"

Lucille raised her eyebrows and then turned to Blitzen who was sat back on his haunches, looking at her innocently. "An hour?"

Troy rested his head on her shoulder. "Mom, I need to get out. That stupid U of A letter is taunting me!" He straightened up and looked her in the eyes. "Besides, Blitzen's going nuts. He needs to burn some energy off."

Lucille sighed. "An hour?"

"Not a minute more." Troy smiled innocently.

"No basketball?"

"No basketball." He confirmed.

"Fine." Lucille agreed. She touched his cheek and smiled slightly. "You know, you're so brave."

Troy sighed. "Not brave enough."

* * *

**(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

Gabriella was grateful she had decided to wear flats today as Daisy seemed to be even more energetic than usual and she was struggling to keep up. The idea this morning of going for a long walk with Daisy to get some peace and quiet sounded like pure bliss, but now she was thinking that today was turning into a really futile day. So far, she'd broken her nail, lost her purse in the house – she was certain that one of the males in the house was behind that disappearance since a certain someone, Carl, was forever taking her money, ripped her favourite pair of jeans, and to make things worse, she was harassed by some dumb Wildcats who made it clear they were supporters of Troy Bolton and her brother and his teammates should be worried about what was coming to them in a few weeks. Plus, according to Sharpay, she was now cursed for seven years after dropping her mirror and watching it smash to pieces. It was obvious it was just going to be one of those days where nothing good would happen; not that it had been better recently in her life anyway.

"My life seriously sucks." Gabriella muttered.

Hearing her owner mumble, Daisy turned around, slowing in the process. Gabriella rolled her eyes as she stroked the dog's head. "Woof." Daisy whined softly at her owner's obvious unhappiness.

Gabriella couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face; Daisy always had a way of putting a smile back on her face which is why she loved her so much. If it wasn't for Daisy she was sure she would've gone insane. "Come on, let's go down by the lake."

Leading the three year old German shepherd towards the lake, Gabriella untied the leash, knowing Daisy never wandered far from her when she was set free and was not the kind of dog that made people feel threatened.

As they approached the lake, Gabriella pulled her 'Romeo and Juliet' book from her bag, preparing to find a spot for them to rest for a while and for her to finish reading. Placing her bag down, she stood back up straight, but before she knew what was happening, a large bark came from Daisy, who flew past Gabriella, knocking her and causing her to lose her balance, falling right into the lake.

* * *

**(A/N: This is me again)**

Troy flung the Frisbee into the wide open space and watched as Blitzen bounded clumsily away. His cell phone began ringing and he dug his phone out of his jeans pocket. He looked at the caller ID and smiled as he flipped it open. "Hey, Kels. What's up?"

"Troy?" She asked quietly.

"Kels, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"Can I ask you a question?" She whispered.

Blitzen came bouncing back with the Frisbee and Troy sighed. "Sure you can. You can ask me anything."

"Well, you know how you're like my big brother?" She whispered.

Troy sighed as she pried the Frisbee from Blitzen's teeth and flung it away again. "Yeah, sure."

"Well, you see, don't get mad at anyone, okay?"

"Just spit it out, Kelsi." Troy exclaimed as he craned his neck to see Blitzen.

Kelsi sighed. "Troy, I like Jason."

"Really?" Troy asked seriously, knowing how much it would hurt her feelings if he used sarcasm and admitted he already knew.

"Yeah." She whispered.

"Well, he's a good guy." Troy admitted.

"He's one of your best friends." She said in confusion.

"Yes. And if he hurts you he won't be. Far from it. Kels, I know Jase. He's a good guy. I trust you, okay? I'm glad you told me, though." Troy smiled at the thought of his Kelsi admitting her first – and hopefully last – crush.

"Thank you, Troy. So, you approve?" She asked carefully.

"Hell yeah! Like I said, he's a great guy and he's lucky to have you as a friend." Troy said softly.

Kelsi giggled. "Thank you, Troy. You're an amazing friend, yourself."

Troy fell silent when he saw Blitzen halt his run and drop the Frisbee. He barked into the open space and then ran off. "Kels, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Without waiting for a response, he hung up and shoved his cell phone into his pocket again. He dashed off after Blitzen, leaving the Frisbee on the ground after figuring that he could by a new one. He followed the sound of Blitzen's barks and frowned when he heard another bark which was slightly higher in pitch.

He skidded to a halt when he saw Blitzen had stopped next to another German shepherd – a girl judging by the pink collar around its neck – and she was pacing back and fore, whining and whimpering. Troy turned his head the grass close by and noticed a leash which matched the collar and girl's bag. He turned back to the pacing dog and Blitzen who was whimpering alongside her.

"Blitzen, what's wrong?" He asked, kneeling down in front of the dog.

The female dog faced the water fearfully and slowly dipped her paw in before yelping and scurrying back a few paces. She turned her head towards Troy and then back to the water, whimpering again.

Troy shuffled across the concrete floor and stroked her head. "It's okay." He said soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you." He gripped the tag on the collar between his thumb and forefinger. "Daisy?" She cocked her head to the side and stepped forward to lick his cheek. "What's wrong?"

She turned to the water again and whined when she saw the water. She twisted her head to face Troy once again and looked at him almost pleadingly.

Then he heard it.

Gasping and gurgling and splashing water. He looked to the lake to see a hand disappearing under the surface again. Troy quickly, without thinking and acting purely on instinct, shrugged his jacket off and dived into the awaiting water.

Troy didn't have to swim far to find the person who was in trouble. He quickly grabbed the person – a girl, judging from the feel of the body against his – around the waist and began swimming towards the surface once again. He pushed the body onto the hard ground and then pulled himself out of the water and he knelt next to the limp body.

He paused for a moment which seemed to last an eternity. She was abso-fucking-lutely gorgeous. Her long black, curly hair was splayed out above her head, matted slightly because of the water. Her eyes were closed but Troy quickly decided that that didn't matter. Her tanned skin was sparkling in the sunlight and it was obvious from her Latina features that she was not from American decent. Her forehead was unbelievably smooth and Troy moved his eyes to her high cheekbones. Some crows' feet were at the corners of her eyes, and Troy figured that she must smile a lot. Troy raked his eyes to her mouth which was parted slightly.

Troy was brought from his thoughts by Daisy nudging his neck. "Okay, okay. One second." He placed his cheek near her lips and his eyes widened when he didn't feel any breaths. He straightened back up and quickly, without hesitation, tilted her head back. He pinched her nose with one hand and her chin with the other. He leaned down and placed his mouth over hers.

Her lips were like silk underneath his. He had to remember that he was supposed to be saving her life and not getting hormonal. He breathed deeply once, twice before he pulled back. He looked down at her and she began coughing up water.

Troy was pushed out of the way by an excited Daisy who began licking her owner's face. "Gee, thanks Daisy." He muttered as he watched in amusement as Daisy happily welcomed her owner back. He turned his head to the side to see Blitzen lying faithfully at the girl's feet. "You were worried, weren't you? You knew."

Blitzen lifted his head and licked Troy's hand a few times.

"Oh, Daisy, Baby, one second." A voice groaned tiredly.

Troy looked up to see the girl slowly sitting up. She shook her head slightly, sending water droplets everywhere. He glanced at the rest of her body and then averted his gaze to Blitzen. She was wearing a mid-thigh denim skirt. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the white floral tank top which was hugging her perfect torso. It had gone see through with the moisture and he could see the perfect pale blue bra she was wearing and he could already feel the heat rising in his cheeks. He ran a hand through his damp and dishevelled hair. _Keep your eyes on Blitzen_.

"I love you, too, Baby." The girl said softly, stroking Daisy's head.

"Oh, God." Troy muttered. Why was she so damn perfect? With the perfect hair, the perfect skin, the perfect lips and just when he thought she couldn't get anymore perfect…she spoke. His head only then registered that she had spoken before but he had been distracted by her outfit.

The girl turned to face Troy and her eyes widened. "You." She gasped. "I have to go." She declared.

"Wait!" Troy exclaimed, moving to sit next to her. "Here, you must be cold." He reached over for his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Thanks." She mumbled.

"Your dog's pretty smart." He commented, reaching over to stroke Daisy's ears.

She smiled proudly at Daisy and planted a kiss on the dog's back. "Yeah, she is." She turned back to Troy and then finally noticed how the both of them were soaking wet. "Did…Did you save me?"

Troy shrugged modestly, his hand still moving through Daisy's fur. "Yeah, I did. But, if it wasn't for Daisy, here, then Blitzen wouldn't have dashed to the rescue and caused me to wonder what had gotten into his head now."

"Blitzen?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

Troy chuckled and whistled slightly before Blitzen trotted over to Daisy's side and licked Gabriella's cheek affectionately. "This is my dog, Blitzen. He seems to like Daisy a lot." They watched the two dogs for a moment before Troy realised something. "So, what's your name?"

The girl turned to him and sighed, looking at her lap. "Gabriella."

_Gabriella._

Troy held his hand out. "Troy."

Gabriella sighed again as she shook his hand, apparently not feeling the sparks which Troy felt. "Believe me, I know who you are."

Troy furrowed his brow but his confusion was soon replaced with worry when she raised her hand to cup the back of her head. "Hey, you okay?"

She nodded, closing her eyes. "I'm fine. I'll get my mom to look at it later on."

"No, you need to see a doctor!" Troy exclaimed.

"My mom is a doctor." She murmured, her hand still clutching her head.

"Then, let me take you to her." Troy said softly, lifting her head. "Just let her check you out. Please?"

Gabriella cringed visibly at the thought of bumping into her bothers or anyone from East or West. "Why do you care so much?"

"Should I not?" He asked carefully.

Gabriella sighed and then winced. Sighing didn't help. "Well, you can if you want. I think it might be a good idea if I go and see my mom. She's at work so you'll have to drive me to the hospital."

Troy nodded, smiling. "I think I can cope with that."

"Sorry about your clothes." She muttered.

Troy chuckled. "I have plenty of shirts and jeans. Besides, they're only wet. By the way, I would do the buttons up on my jacket." He whispered.

Gabriella glanced down and her eyes widened. She quickly pushed her arms through the sleeves and began buttoning up Troy's denim jacket. "I had to pick white." She muttered.

Troy chuckled softly at the beautiful blush which graced her cheeks. "Hey, it's okay. It happened to Kelsi and Taylor last year when me and my friends soaked them with water guns."

"Kelsi and Taylor?" She asked slowly as she lifted her head.

"Two of my best friends." He smiled slightly and then got to his feet. He offered his hand to her and shrugged. "Please let me take you to the hospital?"

Gabriella hesitated but placed her tiny hand into his large one. She had a feeling that he crappy day had just gotten worse.


	6. She's okay

**A/N: This is chapter 5 :) Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Chapter 5 – She's okay

**(A/N: This is me)**

Gabriella sighed as Troy pulled into the parking lot of Albuquerque hospital. "You don't have to come in." She protested. "Everyone knows me. And Daisy is okay being tied up outside. I don't like it too much but I don't know where else she can go."

Troy shook his head and un-clicked his seatbelt. "I want to. Blitzen and Daisy are fine in the back. The windows will be rolled down and I just…I need to make sure you're okay."

"You don't know who I am." She mumbled as she pressed the button on her seatbelt. She turned to face him and sighed. "You really wouldn't want to care about me if you knew who I am."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Can I please just make sure you're okay?"

Gabriella nodded reluctantly. "Fine." She muttered. She twisted in her seat to face the back seats where Daisy was lying, her head resting between her paws. Gabriella was surprised that she hadn't woken up when Troy had pulled his beat up old truck to a loud stop. Blitzen was lying next to her, his head resting protectively over her back but his eyes were wide open. "Take good care of her, okay Blitzen?" She stroked his ears and smiled at him.

Her door opened and she jumped slightly as she twisted to face the front. Troy stood there, smiling brightly at her as he held her door open. "They'll be fine. I promise." He helped her out of his truck and quickly locked it behind them.

They began walking into the hospital together when Gabriella turned to Troy. "I want to thank you again. Thank you for saving me."

"Don't think anything of it." Troy brushed her off. He noticed how pale she looked and he touched her arm to stop her walking. "Hey, you okay? You don't look so good."

"Can you help me?" She whispered. "My head hurts. My mom's working on the sixth floor – the children's ward."

Troy nodded and picked her up, wanting to get to the children's ward as fast as possible. He skidded to a stop at the elevators. "Gabriella, where are the stairs?" He asked, his eyes locked on the flashing number ten. _Tenth floor?!_

Gabriella weakly raised her arm to point at a door on the other side of the corridor. "Over there." She dropped her arm and closed her eyes. She snuggled further into Troy's chest and sighed, fighting her heavy eyelids.

"Don't leave me, Brie." Troy mumbled as he jogged over to the door which Gabriella had pointed out. He jogged up the stairs, forcing himself not to slow down as he approached the door with the black six painted on the frosted glass. He finally found a good, productive use for all of the suicides his father made him do. He kicked the door open with a little more violence than he originally intended. The door slamming against the wall caused a loud noise to reverberate through the corridor.

Several nurses and doctors turned to face him and a doctor from over near the nurses' station rushed over to him, her hand immediately stroking Gabriella's forehead. "Oh, mi hija." She cried.

Troy noticed that the doctor, kind of, looked like an older version of Gabriella. _Mi hija? Is that Spanish?_ His mind quickly whirled through the semester of Spanish he had taken after Taylor had persuaded him to. If truth be known, he had just wanted her to shut up. "She's your daughter." He realised.

The doctor looked up and smiled, her chocolate eyes sparkling exactly like Gabriella's did. "Yeah. What happened? Wait, tell me as I'm examining her. Come with me." She began walking away and Troy quickly followed her. She entered an empty room and held the door open for Troy. "Can you set her down on the bed, please?"

Troy nodded and walked further into the room. He laid her down gently onto the white bed and then brushed some curls from her forehead. He turned to Gabriella's mother and his eyes widened as he read her nametag. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Half an hour left. "Oh, God." He mumbled as he turned back to Gabriella who had finally drifted into unconsciousness.

The doctor looked up from a clipboard and frowned. "Everything okay, Troy?"

"Does everyone know who I am?" He exclaimed. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm fine. I just…I didn't know she was a Montez, is all. If my dad or friends find out about this, they're going to kill me and then bring me back to kill me again."

The doctor held her hand out. "I'm Maria, Gabriella's mother."

Troy shook her hand and nodded. "I kind of figured that. I must thank Taylor for practically forcing me to take Spanish."

She chuckled and set the clipboard down. "So, you still want to stay?"

"Hell yeah. Does everyone think I'm that shallow?" He mumbled.

"Well, I don't know about everyone else, but Carl does. But, I don't." She smiled softly as she walked over to the other side of the bed. She took a thermometer out of her lab coat and placed in her daughter's ear. It beeped and she took it out again. "Troy, what happened to my daughter?"

Troy sighed, stroking Gabriella's hand. "Well, I was playing with Blitzen, my dog, and he gets ridiculously distracted. He ran off and I followed him and then we met Daisy who was whining. I dove into the lake and pulled Gabriella out. I gave her mouth to mouth and then she was complaining about having some pain on her head." Troy explained, looking up at Maria.

"Where about on her head?" Maria asked immediately.

"She was holding it at the back." Troy replied, still gripping Gabriella's hand.

Maria rolled her daughter over slightly so she was facing Troy more. She began feeling the back of Gabriella's head. "There's a slightl bump there. I'm just going to get a cold compress, okay?"

Troy nodded. "Sure." He watched Maria close the door and then he took his cell phone out to text his mom as to where he was and why he could possibly be a little late. He put his phone back into his pocket and turned to Gabriella. She looked so peaceful. She looked exactly like she did when he saved her life…except she was wearing his jacket which was extremely endearing. They had both dried off slightly but were still damp and Troy had already expressed his concern to her about her getting pneumonia.

Maria returned and walked back to her previous position and placed the cold compress on the back of her daughter's head. "Could you hold this for me?"

Troy nodded and swallowed nervously. He honestly trusted Maria and knew that she wouldn't have asked him to if it would possibly hurt Gabriella but he still feared he would make things worse. He placed his hand where Maria's had been and sighed softly when he felt Gabriella's damp hair beneath his fingers. "Is she okay?"

Maria nodded. "She will be. Don't worry about her. She's strong." She reached into her pocket and brought out a needle she had obviously prepared whilst getting the cold compress.

"What about her head? The bump is pretty big." Troy mumbled worriedly.

Maria smiled at him. "That's a good thing. The quicker the lump appears, the quicker it'll heal. When she was a little girl she would always get lumps and bumps because she was always playing with her brothers. She's covered in scars. She'll be fine."

"She's unconscious." He murmured, staring at her peaceful face.

"It's probably a slight concussion. Is this your jacket?" She gestured with the needle to the denim jacket covering her torso.

He nodded. "Yeah. I thought she might be cold. And her tee-shirt kind of went see through."

Maria laughed softly and placed the needle on the bedside cabinet and began unbuttoning Troy's jacket. She pulled her daughter's arm out of the sleeve and rubbed the exposed skin of her upper arm with some cotton wool. "Before you ask, it's just a simple shot. It'll kill any chances that she could've picked something up from the water." She quickly, in a movement so smooth and fast that Troy barely saw it, injected the medicine into Gabriella's arm and then began rubbing Gabriella's arm until it stopped bleeding. She placed the cap on the needle and dropped it into her pocket.

"She said I wouldn't care about her if I knew who she was…Did she mean because she's a Montez?" Troy asked, lifting his eyes to Maria's.

Maria took a deep breath. "Probably. She doesn't hate you." She spoke slowly, thinking carefully of what to say. "Far from it. She hates the stupid feud that's been going on since forever. But, she thinks that you're like everyone else."

Troy smiled slightly. "She's wrong."

"Excuse me?" Maria cocked her head to the side.

"Please. The sooner I can get out of New Mexico, the better. If I was any other Wildcat, I probably wouldn't care. But I do." Troy said softly.

"Why?" Maria whispered. "I've never talked to a Bolton or a Wildcat that voluntarily admitted they cared about, not only a Knight but, a Montez."

Troy shrugged. "I honestly don't know. It was something that's been nagging at me for a while and part of it is because I see what other people don't. When I had my appendix out four years ago, it showed me what really matters in life. And a stupid feud between Wildcats and Knights, Bolton's and Montez's, is so pointless."

Maria smiled softly. "I know it's hard. I can see it in Gabby's eyes that she doesn't like it. But, I'm going to be calling my husband and sons pretty soon so I think you should go."

"What about Daisy?" Troy asked suddenly.

"Just tie her up outside. I'll get one of my sons to take her home." Maria replied softly.

Troy removed his hand from the back of Gabriella's head and bit his lip thoughtfully. "Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?"

Maria nodded and brought out the stationary desired by Troy. "Here you go."

Troy scribbled something down and folded the piece of paper up neatly. "Could you give this to her, please? Tell her that I hope she feels better soon." He smiled slightly as he handed them back to Maria. He kissed Gabriella's knuckles and sighed as he got to his feet.

***

**(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

Gabriella felt her head throbbing as she awoke from her state of confusion. She couldn't figure out where she was as a dimly lit room came into her view; her eyes blinking as she adjusted to the light. Lifting her hand, she turned to see several pieces of medical equipment and kid's posters on the walls to cheer the room up. She had no idea how long she must have been out of it. Suddenly she sat up quickly - something she was soon regretting, feeling the pain shooting through her head – as she remembered Troy and everything that happened.

"Gabby?" A voice asked softly.

Gabriella turned to find her mom with some papers in her hand. "M-Mom." Her voice was groggy as her Mom stood up and handed her a glass of water and a straw. "Thanks."

"Gabby!" Gabriella groaned at the loud voice of her father as he entered the room and walked towards her. "Thank god you're okay. I was so worried about you, Princess; you gave us quite a fright. Your Mom said if it wasn't for some guy walking his dog, you could have drowned."

Gabriella eyed her Mom suspiciously. She knew her mom would have known that Troy was the one who had brought her in but had obviously decided not to disclose that information in worry about what any Montez or Knight involved in the stupid feud would do. Wait, wasn't she wearing Troy's jacket before? Her body was now covered with one of her Mom's more unfashionable cardigans. "I know. I'm sorry."

Maria shook her head as she held Gabriella close to her. "You did nothing wrong. We're just glad you're okay."

"Where's Daisy?" She asked, suddenly remembering her dog was with Troy.

Maria smiled and gave her daughter a secretive wink. "She's fine. He left her tied up downstairs and Landon took her home before returning."

Greg cleared his throat as he moved towards the door. "I'm going to go tell the lads that she's fine now. They might as well get back rather than hanging around now we know she's fine. Plus they've got a big game coming up and I don't want Carl or Zeke missing valuable practise time."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as Maria gave her husband a nod. "We'll be home later on hopefully. Just need to make sure Gabby is okay." Greg disappeared before Maria turned back to Gabriella. "He left you this. I didn't think it was a good idea him being here knowing how your father and brothers would react if they saw him. He told me to tell you that he hopes you feel better soon."

Gabriella felt a blush gracing her warm cheeks. "Oh."

Trying to keep her smirk off her face, she gave her daughter a look. "He's a charming young man. He seemed genuinely concerned for you."

Her chocolate brown eyes refused to meet her mother's brown eyes. "I know." Letting out a sigh, she opened the piece of paper.

"Don't let your father, brothers or any of the knights catch you with that but I do think you should call him and let him know you're all right." Maria whispered.

Gabriella folded the paper back up but kept it securely in her hands. "Maybe later, Mom. I'm pretty tired right now."

Maria nodded, placing a gentle kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Ok well I'm going to just finish up this paperwork and I'll get one of the nurses to sort your discharge papers out since I had to admit you and then we'll go. Just rest for now."

Gabriella nodded and closed her eyes as her mind replayed the day's events over again and the feeling of the warmth she felt when Troy carried her, making her heart flutter at the memories.

***

Troy had returned home after leaving the hospital and he hadn't been able to get Gabriella out of his head the whole journey home. How he hadn't known she was a Montez straight away was a mystery to him. She looked so much like Carl Montez and his older brother…Landon, was it?

"Troy?" A voice broke his thoughts.

Troy smiled as he tossed his keys on the table and Blitzen went to lay down in the living room. "Hey, Mom."

Lucille dried her hands on the cloth and walked over to her son who was sat at the island in the middle of their kitchen. "Honey, is everything ok? I was worried after I got your message. What happened?" She sat down next to him and watched him curiously.

Troy replayed everything that had happened from the park to the hospital, including the part about the girl he'd saved being a Montez after making sure his father wasn't around. He would never hear the end of it if his father found out he had helped save a Knight, much less a Montez. It was just something he knew his father didn't believe in as apparently they would never help one of them in an emergency.

"Mom, I've never felt so scared before. Just seeing her there so helpless but yet so beautiful, looking like she was in just a peaceful sleep…I don't know. It's something I've never felt before. And now all I want is to know she is okay. I don't care if she doesn't want to ever speak to me again but I just need to know she is okay." Troy whispered quietly, finally lifting his eyes to meet his mother's gaze.

Lucille smiled at her son, hearing such genuine concern for someone in his voice. And especially someone who she, too, knew her husband would not agree that she deserved Troy's help. "I'm sure she is, Troy, and if she really is as amazing as she sounds, then I'm certain it won't be long before she's in touch." Squeezing her son's hand, she smiled at him; her once little boy that needed her help was becoming a man who was now helping someone else out in emergencies rather than turning to her. "I'm so proud of you, Troy." She kissed his forehead and got to her feet.

***

Walking into the noisy household, Gabriella headed straight up to her room, wanting to avoid any more questions. Locking the door behind her, she shook her head seeing a sad Daisy, looking out the window. Dropping her bag to the floor, she caught the young dog's attention and before she knew it she felt two paws resting on her stomach as Daisy barked in relief and happiness at seeing her owner.

"Miss me much?" The dog barked happily as Gabriella ruffled her fur before heading towards her bed. She took off her clothes that had dried off and headed into her bathroom in her underwear, knowing she needed a long and hot shower to take away some of her stresses with Daisy waiting dutifully outside the door.

Gabriella hadn't been able to get the thoughts of Troy out of her head as she remembered the concern she heard in his voice when he revived her earlier and the scared look upon his face. Plus, when they'd spoke for the few minutes she was conscious, he, too, had been so normal with her and seemed to bear the same feelings as she did towards the ongoing feud.

Her cell phone rang from inside her room but she just ignored it, knowing she would get it later. She stepped out of her refreshing shower, feeling a whole lot better. Her headache was still there but she felt like some of the pressure had been lifted from her. Opening the door, Daisy lifted her head and looked at Gabriella before placing her head back down, knowing she wasn't moving far. Picking up her cell, she saw it had only been Sharpay who had called, obviously wanting to know if she was okay – she probably had been harassing her brothers and Zeke for information before having to finally resort to troubling Gabriella herself – but Gabriella knew her best friend would understand her if she didn't get back to her tonight.

Pulling on her pyjamas, she lifted the piece of paper she'd pulled from her bag – along with Troy's jacket she'd found her mom had hidden in there - and looked at it several times before letting her fingers dance over the numbers on her cell. Why was she really doing this? Why was she doing this at all? All she knew was that it was too late to change her mind the second she heard his voice.

"Hello?"


	7. Promise me

**A/N: chapter 6 :) don't own HSM x

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Chapter 6 – Promise me

Gabriella froze at the sound of his voice. His voice was so melodic, so care-free and so…Troy. His voice was so soothing and exactly how she had remembered it. So caring…and he didn't even know it was her. She wondered whether she had misjudged the Bolton's. It wasn't that she had been superficial like her brothers and assumed that they didn't deserve the time of day; she just assumed they were like everyone else.

But, it was possible for the freaky genius girl to be wrong…

"T-Troy?" She stuttered in a whisper.

"This is he." He confirmed. "Who is this?"

"I'm Gabriella." She mumbled as she fiddled with her comforter.

"Oh, hey. Could you give me one minute?" He asked.

"Sure." She replied with uncertainty.

There were muffled voices – Troy had obviously covered the mouthpiece – and then she heard his voice again. "Hey, I'm back. Sorry about that. My dad was in the room."

"Oh, do you want me to call back?" She asked suddenly. "I can totally do that."

"No, no, it's cool." He assured her. "I had, literally, just finished dinner. So, how are you doing?"

"I'm good. A little headache but nothing a little Tylenol and a good nap can't wear off." She said softly. "I wanted to thank you again." She whispered. "From what Carl tells me, I can't see many other Wildcats doing what you did."

"Don't even think about it, okay? And, you know, I didn't know it was you at the time." He joked.

A soft giggle escaped her lips. "So, I wouldn't have been saved if you'd have known?"

"I never said that." He muttered seriously. "Do you honestly believe I'm like that?"

"I don't know." She replied honestly. "I mean, you do cause some damage to my brothers…But they deserve it."

Troy chuckled. "Yeah…I bet they do. Don't you think it's ironic, though?"

"In what way?" She asked slowly.

"Well, you're the Knight but I'm the one who rescued you." He joked. "You know, my friend, Taylor, said that you're the captain of the scholastic decathlon team at West High and if you're as smart as her, I would've thought you'd figure it out." He teased.

She rolled her eyes to herself. "I nearly drowned today. Cut me some slack."

"Did your dad and brothers…" He trailed off and cleared his throat.

"Find out about you?" She guessed.

"Yeah." He whispered.

"No." She murmured. "So far, you're called 'that guy with the dog'. I still have your jacket, though." She added, eyeing the denim fabric which was folded at the side of her bed.

"I honestly don't care about a jacket." He replied, chuckling lightly.

"Right." She muttered. A silence fell upon them and Gabriella reached for his jacket. She curiously held it to her nose and sighed softly. It smelled slightly of cologne but it wasn't overpowering and it smelt refreshing, not like the stuff her brothers used. But, it didn't just smell of cologne. It smelt of dog – she couldn't complain because she usually smelt like dog, too – and of something she couldn't put her finger on. But, whatever it was, it was definitely relaxing.

"Gabriella? You okay?" Troy's voice asked suddenly.

Gabriella jumped when she realised that they had fallen into a silence – probably an awkward one on Troy's part. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She jumped when she heard her bedroom door open and she shoved Troy's jacket under her pillows. Landon rushed into her room and started looking under her bed for something. "Sorry about this, Sis."

"Landon, get out of my room." She yelled, hoping Troy would hear and not talk.

Landon shuffled back and got to his knees. "Have you stolen my basketball?"

"Why would I steal your precious basketball?" She asked in annoyance.

Landon got to his feet and shrugged. "I have no idea. But, I'm clutching at straws. I've looked everywhere!"

"Remember last year when you 'lost your basketball'?" She muttered.

"Last year?" He scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Check your damn bathroom!" She yelled. "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

"I bet it's just Sharpay gassing about the latest shoes." He muttered.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and jumped to her feet. "Are you incapable of knocking?" She yanked her door open and pointed to the pale blue cloud with 'Gabriella' written artistically in a silver script. Sharpay had designed it after pointing out that she was one of two females in the house surrounded by six – seven including Zeke – guys. "Are you Gabriella?"

"No." Landon mumbled.

"Then either learn to knock or stay out of my room!" She exclaimed. "I don't go into yours."

"Mom doesn't go into mine." He mumbled. "She says you're both afraid."

"Of dying and never seeing the outside world again? Yeah." She muttered, the phone still clutched to her ear.

"Gabriella? You okay?" Troy whispered lowly.

"Yeah, hold on." She replied, knowing Landon didn't know who was on the other end. She turned back to her brother and sighed. "Get out." She pointed to the hallway.

"You know," He said thoughtfully as he walked to the doorway but turned to her, "you could lock the door."

"You could honour your little sister's privacy." She shot back. "I tried trusting you all, so I will start locking my door. Now out!" She shut the door and flicked the lock. She breathed out deeply and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. She let her head fall back onto her wooden door and sighed. "You still there, Troy?" She whispered.

"Yeah…" He murmured. "What's up?"

"My idiot brother!" She exclaimed angrily. "I'm sorry you had to hear that." She whispered.

Troy chuckled. "That's not half as bad as what my friends and I say to your brothers and Baylor."

Gabriella giggled softly. "Well, um…" Her voice trailed off when she realised she had no idea what to say to that. Troy had saved her life and she had thanked him countless times but what could she say to him when he mentioned the severity of the fights her brothers got into? He was a Wildcat and she was a Knight. They shouldn't be in any civilised communication whatsoever.

It was harder than she imagined when she talked to Troy Bolton.

"Your brother leaves his basketball in his bathroom?" Troy finally broke the silence with a question, speaking slowly.

Gabriella laughed breathlessly and ran a hand through her hair. "Long story."

"I can imagine." He muttered.

"Thank you." She whispered, as tears – for some unknown reason – welled up in her eyes.

"Gabriella, just knowing that you're okay is enough thanks for me." He replied strongly.

Daisy padded over to Gabriella and lay down with her head in her mistress' lap. Gabriella stroked her soft fur and sighed. "I'm fine." She promised.

"Am I ever going to see you again?" He whispered.

"I don't know." Gabriella replied quietly. "I have to go. I'm still pretty tired. Thank you, Troy Bolton." She hung up and breathed out deeply. She let her head fall back against the door again and shut her eyes.

Why was Troy Bolton so easy to talk to?

Why had he rescued her?

One final question probed Gabriella's mind: why in hell's name on earth was she feeling so sad that she had hung up?

* * *

Troy scanned the many titles of the countless books on the library's shelves. Not that he was concentrating. He was supposed to be searching for some books needed for his history report but his mind kept wandering…to the previous day. He'd rescued the most beautiful girl in the world. And she happened to be a Knight. Just what he needed.

But, she'd hung up on him.

He had come up with three possibilities as to why:

Number 1: He had misjudged her and she was exactly like her brothers and couldn't stand Wildcats and Bolton's.

Number 2: She didn't want anyone to find out she was talking to a Wildcat – although he doubted that one as Landon had been in the room at one point.

Number 3: She was simply tired and wanted some sleep.

He desperately hoped it was number three.

***

**(A/N: this is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

Gabriella had decided to distract herself by doing some of her homework but realised she'd already completed it all – something she was now regretting as she needed a distraction from the one thing that kept running through her mind: Troy Bolton – but decided that she could maybe start doing some early research into an upcoming science paper she knew she had to do.

Knowing it was virtually impossible to concentrate in the house, she grabbed her bag and headed out to the one place that she knew she was safe; the library. Plus it was a welcome relief to get out of the house and away from everyone; she knew they only did it because they cared but all the fuss they were creating was driving her insane. The library always calmed her down when she needed a place to relax or escape to.

Walking up the steps, she smiled as she passed the old lady on reception who she knew very well being a frequent visitor. Heading towards the back of the library, she dropped her bag with her books in on one of the many empty tables. Before she reached the aisles for the science section, she saw a familiar blue eyed boy looking blankly at some books. Frowning, she hurried past the aisle hoping he wouldn't see her or bring any attention to herself. Dodging into the section she needed, she peeped back around the end to see if Troy had seen her and let out a sigh of relief at successfully avoiding him. The last thing she needed was seeing him when he was one of the things that had been bothering her since the phone call.

***

Troy was still staring blankly at the books in front of him when he heard a thud which sounded like something being dropped on a table. He finally realised how out of it he had been. Seconds later as he started looking at the books in front of him again, something caught his eye. A trail of brown hair seemed to hurry past the end of the section. Locating the book he needed, he took it from the shelf and headed towards the back exit of the aisle. Walking across the end of another aisle, he felt his heart beat quicken as he watched a familiar brunette enter the aisle, quickly turning back to peep around the end. He knew she had obviously seen him and was trying to avoid him. Feeling an unknown burst of confidence run through his body, he quietly tip-toed up behind her.

"Hiding from someone?" Gabriella let out a small scream and jumped away from him in shock. Troy couldn't help but chuckle seeing the stunned flabbergasted look in her eyes at being caught.

Gabriella placed her hand over her chest to try and calm her racing heart. "No." She mumbled as Troy smiled.

Troy watched as she turned away from him and skimmed over the titles of the books. "Why are you avoiding me? Don't deny it because I know you are."

Gabriella ignored him, not knowing what to do when she finally sighed in defeat and faced him. "Honestly... I don't know."

Lifting her head with his fingers gently, Troy smiled at her. "Looks like you answered my question." Gabriella gave him a confused look. "I asked you if we would ever see each other again before you hung up." He saw her shift uncomfortably and quickly spoke again. "I'm not angry at you for doing so. I was worried you were mad at me or something."

Gabriella shook her head. "I guess I just freaked out. I didn't know how to handle this and I guess I did the easiest thing I knew: shut you out quickly."

For the first time, Troy saw something he'd never seen so clearly in someone's eyes before; vulnerability. He'd never really thought that the effects of what went on in the town affected anyone else really as no one he'd ever known was like Gabriella. And Troy knew from that moment she was special. "It's okay."

Gabriella nodded at him and for the first time since she had woken up in hospital, she let a real smile cross her face knowing from just one look at Troy, - something that scared her a little - she would be okay. "Hey, do you feel like sitting with me? I could use some company."

Even though things were still awkward between the pair, Troy wasn't about to refuse. Plus it wasn't like any of his friends ever went in the library except Taylor but he knew she was busy today. "Okay."

***

The two hadn't spoken a word since they sat down, each focusing on their own work knowing it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. However, Troy had been, admittedly, studying Gabriella rather than his history report. He wanted to know every little thing about her and he had figured out that she was basically oblivious to everything else whilst she was working. He found her incredibly cute in every little thing she did. When she was concentrating, she would twist her locks of hair around her finger. When she was trying to understand something, she would bit the end of her pencil. When she relaxed slightly after working something complicated out, her fingers would moved rhythmically and gracefully on the smooth table – he assumed she played the piano.

Suddenly, Gabriella's phone vibrated in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw that Sharpay had text her telling her she was coming over.

"I have to go." She said apologetically as she began shutting her books.

Troy nodded as he heard sigh softly. "Hey, promise me something?"

Gabriella turned to him and furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Promise me this isn't the last time we'll see each other. Promise me we'll arrange to see each other again soon?" He whispered quietly.

"I don't know, Troy. I mean, what about my brothers? Or my dad. Your dad?" She whispered quizzically. "My dad would kill you if he found out it was you who saved me. And then my brothers would bring you back and kill you again."

Troy chuckled quietly. "You know this?"

"I know my brothers and my dad." She muttered.

"Please?" He whispered, taking her hand in his own. "I like this. Besides, you don't seem like one to break the rules very often. So, live on the edge for once. Take a shot. Besides, if…" His voice trailed off. "Never mind."

"What?" She asked softly.

Troy sighed. "I was going to say that if your brothers and dad really love you, they won't mind who you're friends with, but I doubt that applies to me."

She giggled and looked down at her pile of books. "Yeah. I think you're right."

"So…will you promise to see me again?" He asked softly, looking into her eyes.

Gabriella looked into his pleading eyes and knew she couldn't help but give in. "Okay. I promise."

Troy grinned and Gabriella left him with one last smile before checking her books out and heading home, feeling a whole lot better than she did earlier thanks to one person who she had a feeling would be sticking around in her life for a while because he obviously doesn't give up on anything. And that thought excited her.


	8. A date

**A/N: Okay, HSMandChelseaFCfan is busy so you're stuck with me for a while. Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Chapter 7 – A date

Gabriella pushed her front door open and stepped inside, only to hear, "Piss off, Blondie," making her roll her eyes. Sharpay had obviously arrived before she had and she dreaded to think what had happened in her absence.

"I'm home." She yelled as she slipped her shoes off and made her way into the lounge. She set her books neatly on the coffee table and then dropped her bag to the floor. She saw Carl and Sharpay glaring at each other. She threw her hands up and sighed. "I'm not going to ask."

"Well, I'll tell you." Carl exclaimed. "Blondie, here-"

"It's Sharpay." The blonde yelled, her hands on her hips.

"Blondie, Sharpay, what difference does it make? Both are dumb names." Carl muttered, folding his arms.

"You do realise you just called yourself dumb, right?" Sharpay asked slowly.

"How?" Carl muttered.

"You began calling me Blondie!" Sharpay shouted.

Gabriella sighed and fell onto the couch. This was what she'd been afraid of when she left the library. When she was there earlier that day – with Troy – it was like nothing else existed. Even though they had only talked when he had caught her avoiding him – which had been beyond embarrassing – and when she had left, she had felt comfortable in his presence. And protected. She wasn't completely devoid of guy knowledge – she had had boyfriends – but it was kind of hard to convince a guy you're 'the one' when you have five extremely protective – and annoying – older brothers. She knew he admired her. He wasn't drooling over her appearance as if he was lusting over her, but he definitely felt _something_. Something a Wildcat and Knight shouldn't feel.

She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Did she just admit to herself that she _liked _Troy Bolton? Sure, he was sweet and charming and there was no doubt that he was the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen…but did she like him?

Who was she kidding? Of course she did. She'd be crazy not to.

"GABBY!" Sharpay yelled, knocking Gabriella out of her thoughts.

She groaned as she opened her eyes. "Yes?" She hissed.

Carl and Sharpay shared a worried glance before Carl spoke. "You okay, Gabs?"

Gabriella sighed. "Will you two ever get along?"

Sharpay and Carl looked at each other and spoke at the same time, "No."

"You know, I had a really nice, quiet morning. I got loads of work done. And I come home because you text me and I find you two fighting over who-knows-what." She replied quietly, glaring at her twin and best friend.

"Well, she comes waltzing in here, begins flirting mindlessly with Zeke and then turns to me and tells me that I'm incapable of thinking about anything other than girls and basketball." Carl yelled.

"Do you disagree Gabs?" Sharpay asked. "How many girls have you seduced from the cheerleading squad?"

Carl shrugged and turned away in embarrassment. "A couple."

"Shar, he's my brother. I don't want to have this conversation." Gabriella looked up at her best friend. "So, why'd you come…" Her voice trailed off and suddenly glared at the blonde girl. "Next time…Next time just call Zeke." She stood up and grabbed her books and bag. "Please don't use me as an excuse." She whispered before she turned around and rushed up the stairs.

She fell into her room and dropped her books and bag carelessly onto her bed. She walked over to Daisy's basket with her lip tembling. She fell to her knees and finally burst into tears. Daisy woke up from her slumber and whined as she stretched. She curled back up but looked up at Gabriella. She nudged her owner's hand with her nose and then started licking her fingers.

Gabriella giggled weakly and began stroking Daisy's head. She was losing it. She was losing her mind and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She was lying to everyone about which college she was going to. She had a twin brother and best friend who didn't get along. She was going to Stanford in a matter of weeks. She had feelings for the person she was brought up to hate - and she was positive that the feelings were getting stronger with every passing minute.

She was going to hell.

But, she concluded that if going to hell meant having the opportunity to be with Troy, she'd take the chance. It'd be worth it, wouldn't it? Spending one minute with Troy was worth an eternity of hell. But, not seeing Troy again would, in all honesty, be hell in its own right.

She sounded like she was unconditionally in love with the guy. She didn't know anything about him so how could she be in love with him? Her eyes caught something from the nearby shelves. Her DVD of 'Romeo and Juliet'. Had Romeo truly known Juliet when he fell in love with her? Had she known him in return? Gabriella had never really been a believer in 'love at first sight' but she wasn't stupid enough to believe that you couldn't instantly _like_ someone.

She had instantly liked Troy.

There was a soft knock at the door and then it opened. Maria shut it behind her and walked over to sit on the floor next to her daughter. "What's going on, mi hija?" She brushed her fingers through Gabriella's hair.

"It's official." Gabriella muttered as Daisy whined and stood up. The German shepherd padded over to the other side of the room to near Gabriella's balcony to have some food.

"What's official?" Maria asked as she kept her eyes on Gabriella's face even though her daughter's gaze was fixed on Daisy.

"I'm going to hell." She whispered as she finally reached up to wipe her cheeks. "Mom, do you love Daddy?"

"Of course I do. I love him with all my heart. Gabby, you're scaring me." Maria said worriedly.

"It's nothing." Gabriella muttered as she got to her feet and walked over to her bed. She started sorting her books out and ignored her mother's hand which rested on her shoulder.

"Is this about… Is this about Troy?" Maria asked softly.

Gabriella snapped her head to face Maria. "What? Why? Why would you think that? I mean, he just saved me from drowning is all. Nothing more, nothing less."

Maria rolled her eyes. "The first step is denial."

"Denial of what?" Gabriella asked as she turned her attention back to her books. "I mean, he's just this guy. That rescued me. And is sweet. And is charming." Gabriella sank onto her bed to look up pityingly at Maria. "And…perfect."

Maria sat next to her daughter and hugged her close. "Baby, do you like Troy?"

"That's the thing." Gabriella whispered. "Mom, how did you know you loved Dad?"

"I see where this is going." Maria realised. "Mi hija, it's different for everyone. And I expect it's harder for you. You were brought to hate him so I can only imagine how confused you are. But, when I fell in love with your father, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I kept thinking about all of his perfections…and even all of his flaws. His obsession with basketball, for instance. I couldn't help knowing that we'd somehow be together. I mean, I was like you. I was the science nerd and we weren't supposed to be together. But, I knew we were. There wasn't a doubt in my mind."

"You've never told me that before. I assumed you were head cheerleader." Gabriella mumbled.

"Like your sisters-in-law?" Maria asked in amusement. "And Landon's girlfriend?"

Gabriella nodded. "Pretty much."

"Well, yeah, I was the nerd." Maria whispered.

"That's where I get it from. I doubted it was from Dad." Gabriella joked.

Maria smiled. "But, we're together. And we're happy. Nothing stopped us. What do you think about Troy?"

Gabriella shrugged. "He's heroic and selfless. Doesn't hate me because of who I am. He's sweet and caring and stubborn. He wants to be friends with me and more than friends if I give him a chance. He's trustworthy and interesting. He's not afraid of my brothers."

"So…" Maria pressed when Gabriella didn't continue.

Gabriella twisted her head to face Maria and a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. "Do you think Dad would be mad at me?"

"Because…" Maria persisted. "Gabby, to know your true feelings you need to say it out loud."

Gabriella bit her lip as she broke from her mother's arms and reached under her pillows for Troy's denim jacket. She lifted it to her nose and sighed contentedly. She set it in her lap and then turned to face Maria once again. "I'm in love with Troy Bolton."

Maria smiled proudly at her daughter and kissed her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."

"You won't tell Dad, will you?" She asked frantically.

"Of course not." Maria said softly. "If you don't want me to, then I won't. Besides, it's your place to tell him."

Gabriella's cell phone suddenly started ringing and she brought it out of her jeans pocket. She looked at the caller ID and gasped. "Oh, my God."

"It's him, isn't it?" Maria asked knowingly.

"Possibly." Gabriella squeaked.

Maria smiled and stood up. "I'm going to go and start dinner, okay? But, whatever you decide, mi hija, I'm always going to be proud of you."

Gabriella nodded as Maria left the room and shut the door. To save embarrassment – and possible death – Gabriella stood up and locked the door. She took her previous position on the bed, picked up Troy's jacket again, and slid her phone up. She held it tentatively to her ear. "Hey, Troy." She whispered.

"Hey, are you alone?" He asked hastily.

"Uh, yeah, my mom just left my room. She knows about you, by the way." Gabriella mumbled.

Troy laughed. "My mom knows about you, too. Look, I don't know why I'm doing this but…are you free tonight?"

"As far as I know." She replied honestly. "Why?"

"Doyouwanttogooutwithme?" He asked quickly.

"What? Huh?" She asked in confusion.

A deep breath was heard over the phone. "Do you want to go out with me this evening?"

"But, I mean…"

"You promised." Troy whispered.

Gabriella swallowed a large lump in her throat. "Like on a date?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Do you want it to be?" He asked nervously.

"Kind of." She admitted.

"Then it'll be a date. But, here's the thing: there's a production of 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Glitz tonight. My parents had tickets but my dad needed to go and see my grandparents so they can't go. And I noticed you had a copy of 'Romeo and Juliet' and wondered if you'd like to go with me." Troy explained kind of shakily.

"The Glitz?" Gabriella gasped. "Isn't that in Santa Fe?"

"Yeah." Troy mumbled. "Do you want to go?"

"I'd love to. I'll have to talk to my mom and get our stories straight and if she'll let me." Gabriella explained.

"Of course." Troy said with understanding.

"How should I dress?" Gabriella whispered.

"Nice." Troy replied.

"How do you mean? Do you mean jeans or a dress…skirt and tank top? I'll need some help, Troy." Gabriella exclaimed.

"Well, I'm wearing jeans and a button up shirt so maybe a dress, okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled slightly. "Okay. I'd love to go. I'll call you later to tell you what my mom says, okay?"

"Yeah. That's cool. If you can come, I'll pick you at about five thirty, okay? The performance is at seven." Troy said softly.

"Cool."

"Bye, Brie." Troy whispered and then hung up.

Gabriella slid her phone shut and bit her lip. She had a date with Troy Bolton! She grabbed a pillow and pulled it over her face and began screaming into it.

***

**(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

Troy flipped his phone shut and chucked it over his bed. The hundred mile thumping in his chest was letting him know that Gabriella truly was something special as he'd never felt this way about any girl ever before. She was so different and just being near her made his heart race.

"Yo! Troy!" Troy closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he heard his best friend shout for him. The smile that had been on his face just moments before had instantly slid from his face.

Turning, he walked out of his bedroom and into the kitchen to see all of his friends hanging out. "How'd you get in?"

"Your mom let us in on her way out. You up for a game of hoops?" Chad asked.

Troy gave a fake smile. "Sure." Chad, Troy and Jason headed out into the backyard while Taylor and Kelsi hung back in the kitchen to make drinks; they knew the Bolton kitchen like the back of their hands as they were always there and Lucille had told them to make themselves at home, literally.

"Troy's hiding something. Did you see that smile? It was so fake. He's been avoiding us for days, too distracted by something else." Taylor commented as the thumping of the ball started up outside followed by shouts from the guys.

Kelsi rolled her eyes. "I guess, but I just think he's stressed. His dad is putting so much pressure on his about living up to the Bolton name. Lucille was telling my mom the other day she wishes Coach would back down a bit and let up on Troy."

Taylor nodded in agreement. "Come on, how about we go spy on the boys? I don't hear any yelling which is worrying."

Kelsi laughed. "Taylor Mckessie, you are such a bad influence on me."

The two laughed as they walked closer to the back door and saw the guys sitting on the steps. Opening the door slightly, they leaned forward to listen. "Have you told her, yet?" Troy asked quietly.

Jason seemed to tense up at Troy's question, confusing the girls. "No and I'm not going to any time soon. I'm not ruining what we have."

Chad shook his head and placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "Dude, you're stupid. She feels the same."

"No she doesn't. Why would she love someone as stupid as me?" Jason muttered, staring at the concrete.

Troy and Chad groaned as Taylor saw Kelsi's face fall at hearing the conversation. She was the only one who knew about her feelings towards Jason apart from Troy. "You okay?"

Kelsi nodded as the two remained where they were and Troy spoke up. "Jase, you need to tell her. Just go for it. Do you really want to end up regretting never telling her before this year is over because if she feels the same, think about all the time that could go to waste."

"Guys, listen, Kelsi will never feel the same way about me as I do for her." Jason mumbled.

Taylor smirked as Kelsi's eyes went wide and her face paled. Taylor moved behind her ready to catch her if she fainted because she wouldn't discard that happening. "What?" Kelsi whispered.

The three guys turned around in surprise, Jason paling at the sight of the two girls. "I think we should give these two some time alone." Troy said softly as he stood up.

Taylor and Chad nodded at Troy and followed him into the house as Jason stood up and hesitantly moved closer to Kelsi. "Kels?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was weak and could be barely heard but Jason heard it clearer than anything.

Jason sighed deeply before taking her hands in his. "I was scared you wouldn't feel the same and I would ruin the amazing friendship we have and-"

Kelsi cut him off with her finger. "You should have told me sooner because then I would have been able to tell you that I think, no I know, I'm in love with you."

Jason felt elated. She felt the same. She loved him just like he loved her. Before he said anything else, he grabbed her by the hips and kissed her passionately.

From the window, Troy, Chad and Taylor grinned seeing their two closest friends so happy. In Troy's mind, one thing was spinning in his mind, if only he and Gabriella could be as happy as them knowing that they would have their friend's backing but knew it was a farfetched thought that wouldn't happen as long as they were in Albuquerque.

* * *

**(A/N: This is me)**

Gabriella entered the kitchen to see Maria hunched over the oven, stirring something in a large pot. She wandered over and sighed softly. "Mom, can I talk to you?"

"Sure you can." Maria muttered absently.

"Mom!" Gabriella exclaimed.

"Yeah?"

"Mom!" Gabriella yanked on Maria's arm to make her face her. "I'm serious."

Maria nodded. "Yeah…"

"Can I go out tonight? Like, to Santa Fe?" She asked in a small voice.

Maria raised her eyebrows. "Is this because of Mr Bolton?"

"Mom!" Gabriella hissed. "They could hear you."

"I doubt that. They're playing basketball." Maria exclaimed.

"Where's Shar?" Gabriella asked.

"She was pretty upset about what happened and went home. I'm sorry, mi hija." Maria mumbled.

Gabriella shook her head. "It's okay. She should just grab him and kiss him and get it over with."

"And you?" Maria asked.

"He wants to take me to Santa Fe to see 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Glitz." Gabriella said softly and bit her lip.

"The Glitz? Fancy. What are you going to do?" Maria asked.

"Oh, actually, I was planning on going from Santa Fe to Vegas, eloping and going to live in Hawaii, abandoning my dream of going to Stanford and becoming a doctor. What do you think I'm going to do?" Gabriella asked sarcastically, leaning against the island.

Maria looked amusedly at her only daughter. "Hawaii?"

"Mom, look, you promise you won't tell Dad?" Gabriella asked.

Maria nodded. "Of course, I promise. So, back to my original question: what are you going to do?"

"Well," Gabriella started off in a voice which was unusually high-pitched, "I figured it out. I'm mad at Carl and Shar, so I can lock myself in my room."

"And…" Maria raised her eyebrows.

"I have a tree right next to my balcony and if I go during dinner, they won't be playing basketball." Gabriella explained.

Maria eyed her daughter. "So, you're serious about this boy?"

"Well, yeah. I am. And, the thing is, if I don't tell dad or my brothers until after I leave for Stanford, they can't kill me." Gabriella whispered.

Maria reached forward and embraced her daughter. "Mi hija, they wouldn't kill you."

Gabriella pulled back and raised her eyebrows. "No, Dad would kill me. My brothers would kill Troy."

"Sounds about right." Maria whispered.

Gabriella smiled weakly.

"Is Troy worth it?" Maria asked curiously.

"Worth what?" Gabriella asked obliviously.

"Lying to your father and brothers." Maria whispered.

"Mom, I'm already lying to them! And, hell yeah, he's worth it. I would take on a lifetime of hell for one more moment with him." Gabriella admitted sheepishly.

"You are so in love." Maria teased.

Gabriella blushed and rolled her eyes. "Mom."

Maria shrugged. "So…"

"What?" Gabriella asked in confusion.

"Go and call him." Maria said softly.

Gabriella bit her lip to hold back her smile before taking her cell phone out of her pocket and running back up the stairs. She locked her bedroom door behind her and sighed softly. The dial tone seemed louder than usual as she softly padded across her bedroom. Daisy lifted her head and whined in confusion at her owner.

Finally, the dial tone stopped and Troy's melodic voice floated into her ear. "Hey, Brie, what's up?"

"Hey, um, is the offer still open?" She asked as she sank into her desk chair.

"To go to Santa Fe? Sure it is." He replied.

"Well, I talked to my Mom and she said I can go." She whispered.

"Yeah? That's awesome." He said enthusiastically. "I mean, uh, I'm glad you can come."

Gabriella released an uncontrollable giggle. "Excited much?"

"Shakespeare excites me." Troy joked.

"Or is it me?" She asked slyly.

Troy chuckled nervously. "Busted." He muttered.

Gabriella bit her lip. "My brothers would so kill you for saying that."

"And you, Miss Montez? Do I excite you?" He replied cheekily.

"At least I can admit it." Gabriella whispered.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to. If you're feeling guilty or pressured in any way by doing this, just…don't. I don't want you to ruin anything you have with your father and brothers." Troy said softly.

"It's not that. It's the opposite. I don't care about my brothers, okay? No matter who I am or what school I go to or who I've been brought up to hate, at the end of the day, I make my own choices and it's their problem if they can't deal with it. You're one of those choices." Gabriella said softly, looking across at Daisy who had walked over and was wagging her tail at the sound of Troy's voice.

"Only if you're sure…" Troy trailed off uncertainly.

Gabriella laughed softly. "Troy, trust me on this. I want it. Besides, I think we're going to have to go on a play-date for Daisy and Blitzen. Daisy's been more than enthusiastic to go for walks."

Troy chuckled. "That is a brilliant idea. Blitzen really likes her."

"Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can you pick me up in the parking lot by Mack and Mickey's place?" She asked, referring to the block of ridiculously expensive apartments just down the road from her house.

"Sure. I guess I didn't think it through when I said I'd pick you up, huh?" Troy asked.

Gabriella giggled. "I guess not. So, I'll see you later?"

"You most definitely will." Troy promised.


	9. Romeo and Juliet

**A/N: Ummmmm...not much to say about this chapter. Pure fluff!!! Hope you like it. I'm going to be writing chapter 4 of 'concrete angel' but I keep getting distracted by facebook :( lol HSMandChelseaFCfan is still busy :( don't own HSM x**

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Chapter 8 – Romeo and Juliet

Gabriella jumped gracefully from the last branch and glanced wearily at the kitchen window where she could see Maria, Greg, Landon, Carl and Zeke all eating dinner. The men seated around the table were talking animatedly about – what she assumed was – basketball. Maria glanced out of the window and winked at her daughter.

Gabriella sighed and adjusted her backpack she was carrying before jogging out of her backyard. She headed towards Mack and Mickey's apartments and thanked the heavens that she had worn her old sneakers and not her new ones which still hadn't broken in. She had pulled on an old hoody and jeans over her dress in case she got caught sneaking out. Her hair was tucked neatly under a Knight Baseball hat and she planned to fix it whilst on the way to Santa Fe.

She slowed to a walk when she entered the parking lot and saw Troy leaning casually against his old truck. He straightened up when he saw her and he raised his hand in a wave. She wandered over to him and smiled in admiration. He was wearing some dark blue jeans, a white button up shirt and a black blazer. "Hey."

"Hey. You look lovely. Although," He murmured as he traced her cheek with his finger, "I remember asking you to wear a dress."

"My dress is underneath, Einstein. I didn't want to get caught sneaking out with no liable excuse – other than being mad at Carl and Sharpay – wearing a dress." Gabriella explained. "Besides, I didn't want it to get torn whilst I was climbing down my tree."

"You have a tree?" Troy asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

Gabriella nodded. "By my balcony. Why? What are you thinking?"

"My job just got a whole lot easier. Now get in before anyone sees us." He smirked and opened her door. He helped her climb in and made sure her clothes and fingers were in no danger from getting trapped in the door before he shut it. He jogged around to the driver's side and climbed in. He twisted the keys in the ignition and clicked his seatbelt in place once the engine roared to life.

"Are you sure this thing is going to make it to Santa Fe?" Gabriella asked unsurely as she placed her backpack by her feet.

Troy nodded and pulled out of the parking lot. "Yes! And that 'thing' is my truck. _She_'s quite capable of getting us to Santa Fe." He sniffed as he shrugged sheepishly. "Getting us back to Albuquerque, however…"

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she kicked her sneakers off and began undoing her jeans. "If I get stranded on a highway in the middle of the night, I'm blaming you." She wriggled out of her jeans and straightened the pale blue skirt of her dress.

Troy glanced over at her and smiled to himself. "Blame me all you want."

Gabriella pulled her cap off of her head, allowing her brunette curls to tumble gracefully around her shoulders. Her cap lay in her lap while she pulled her hoody over her head, revealing a spaghetti strap, pale blue dress with a waistline just under her breasts, highlighted with a thick white ribbon. She folded her hoody neatly and set it in her lap. She unzipped her backpack and brought out some silver strappy heels and a white jacket. She shoved her sneakers, hoody and cap back in and zipped the backpack back up.

"You okay?" Troy asked through a chuckle.

Gabriella nodded, folding the white jacket neatly in her lap. "Yeah. I just can't believe I'm doing this."

Troy slowed the car as he approached a stop sign. "Do you want me to turn around?"

Gabriella turned to him and shook her head. "No. I want this…I just can't believe I'm doing it, you know?"

Troy sighed as he took off again. "I know what you mean. I've never lied to Kelsi before."

Gabriella released a deep breath. "So…"

Troy chuckled and reached to take her hand in his. "You didn't have anything else to do on a Saturday night?"

Gabriella intertwined their fingers and shook her head. "Hell no. In West Albuquerque it's all parties and stuff. Shar, Zeke, Ryan, Martha and Carl go. But, I'm not the party person." She explained.

"I didn't think you were." Troy admitted. "What do you do, then?"

"I read." She whispered. "And read. And read. Feel free to stop me anytime. And read."

"I get it." Troy chuckled. "Why are you mad at Carl and Sharpay?"

Gabriella sighed. "They don't get on…at all. And when I left the library because Shar wanted me, that's what I was afraid of. I enjoyed it this morning. And then I went home to find Shar and Carl yelling at each other. Shar had used me as an excuse to get to my house to flirt with Zeke." She whispered. "That's why."

"Sounds rough." Troy mumbled.

Gabriella giggled lifelessly. "Not really. It's the least of my problems."

"What do you mean?" Troy asked worriedly as he paused at a red light. He turned to face her and sighed. "What's up?"

"It's my dad." She confessed. "He sees the last name 'Montez' on a birth certificate, he thinks 'another son who'll be basketball captain and go to U of A'." She exclaimed pitifully. "It's annoying. I'm a girl, not another precious son!"

There was a honk from behind them and Troy realised that the light had turned green so he regrettably let go of Gabriella's hand and sped off. "Your father's forcing you to go to U of A?"

"Unfortunately." She muttered.

"And you don't want to go?" Troy guessed.

"No. Not at all. Not to study basketball or anything else. I'm not my brothers. And that's the problem." She whispered. "Ever feel like you're living someone else's life?"

"Everyday." Troy muttered.

"What?" Gabriella asked in surprise.

Troy sighed. "We're more alike than either of us initially thought." He murmured as he concentrated on the road. "My own dad wants and expects me to go to U of A and study basketball."

"And it forces you to consider other options even more?" Gabriella whispered, staring at her lap.

Troy nodded, gripping the wheel even tighter. "Yeah. Believe it or not, I enjoy the theatre and music and acting…"

"And you want to pursue that?" Gabriella asked, lifting her head to look at him.

Troy reached for her hand again and nodded. "Yeah. I do. I don't want to give basketball up – far from it – but I don't want it to run my life anymore." He whispered.

Gabriella looked down at his hand and held it in both of hers. "East High's macho playmaker likes the theatre?" She teased.

Troy laughed in disbelief. "We were having a serious conversation, Miss Montez."

Gabriella giggled. "I didn't think you were that kind of guy. If you turn out to be a guy version of Sharpay, I never want to see you again. I can't cope with two Sharpays."

Troy chuckled. "I'm not a drama queen, I just like drama…and, yes, there is a difference."

"I'm sure there is." She giggled.

Troy let go of her hand briefly while he turned left and then he took her hand again. "So, how's your head?"

Gabriella bit her lip at his obvious concern. "Troy, I'm fine. I've been fine ever since it happened. I had a bit of a headache but, like I said, a little Tylenol and a nap cleared it on up." She paused slightly and looked across at him. "You're more worried than any of my brothers were."

Troy squeezed her hand affectionately. "That's because I care about you…a lot."

A gentle blush spread over her cheeks and she released an embarrassed giggle. "Thank you, Troy."

* * *

Troy and Gabriella entered the Glitz and Troy gasped. It was the first time seeing Gabriella in the light that evening. Her dark hair was curled elegantly around her shoulders and it was clipped away from her beautiful face with two silver barrettes. A silver butterfly hung from a delicate silver chain around her neck and glittered in the light. Her white jacket was now around her torso and contrasted perfectly with her dark skin. Her dress fell to just above her knees and her shoes made her a couple of inches taller, but she was still considerably smaller than Troy.

"Troy…" She sang, waving her hand in front of his eyes.

He jumped slightly and blinked rapidly. "Huh? What?"

She giggled and squeezed his hand which was wrapped around hers. "We step inside and you zone out on me. Am I really that boring?"

"No." He exclaimed. "I just…I saw you in the light. You're so beautiful."

She blushed prettily and bowed her head. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Hey, what's up?" He stepped closer to her and gripped both of her hands in his, his face just mere centimetres from hers.

"Nothing." She murmured, still looking at their shoes.

They had arrived a little early, thus there were only a few people milling about the lobby but Troy ignored them, his gaze focussed on the girl in front of him. "Brie…" He whispered, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead. "Please tell me."

She lifted her head and rolled her eyes. "Have you always been naturally stubborn or is it something that occurred once you were a jock?"

"Naturally." He grinned. "Please?"

She sighed and shrugged. "No one's ever called me beautiful before. I mean, my dad has, but that doesn't count."

Troy led her over to a few chairs lined up against the wall for customers to sit on. As they were early, they were not allowed in the actual theatre yet. He sat them both down and held her hand. He brushed her cheek with his fingers with his free hand. "You've never been called beautiful?"

She sighed and looked away. "Well, I've been called good-looking and sexy and gorgeous but I can't trust a guy's opinion."

"Why?" He asked slowly, dropping his hand from her cheek.

She lifted her head to look at him. "You're the most popular guy at East High – the most popular guy in Albuquerque, I'd bet, if my brothers weren't your competition. Don't girls ever use you?"

Troy rolled his eyes. "More times than I can count."

"Then you know what it's like. Guys want to be with me because of my brothers and who I am. And now, the one guy who's supposed to hate me, says the thing I've been waiting to hear." She whispered.

Troy wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. "I would never hate you." He whispered.

She pulled back and raised her eyebrows. "Who called me an 'ugly little bitch who was ashamed to go outside'?"

"I didn't know you then." He muttered, blushing in sheepishness. "I didn't even know your name."

She giggled and kissed his cheek. "I'm teasing. I mean, if people told me I'd be on a date with Troy Bolton, I wouldn't have believed them."

Troy squeezed her shoulders. "Well, you are on a date with me. I mean, the only people who know are our moms but…"

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. "Why do our families hate each other?"

Troy copied her sigh and rested his free hand hesitantly on her knee. "I don't think even our parents know."

"My mom doesn't." She mumbled.

"Your dad?" Troy asked curiously.

"Pfft." Gabriella exclaimed, sitting up. "You know how you're never supposed to say 'Macbeth' in a theatre? My treats your last name like that. You say Bolton in our house and you're cursed for life – unless it's when my brothers come home from one of your fights."

"How many times have you said it?" Troy asked curiously.

"More times in the past week than ever before." She whispered.

He grinned across at her. "Can I safely assume it was to your mom?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah…I figured something out, though."

"What?" Troy asked curiously.

"A couple of weeks ago, you were walking Blitzen and you bumped into a girl reading, right?" Gabriella asked.

"How do you know that?" Troy asked.

Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "Because on the same day, I bumped into a guy walking a German shepherd."

"It was you?" Troy asked in amazement.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. It was me. That was the day when my dad asked the dean of U of A to our house."

"How did that go?" Troy questioned.

Gabriella shrugged. "I wasn't listening. All I had to do was smile and nod. My dad and brothers were the ones convincing him that I'm such a great basketball player."

Troy smiled sympathetically. "Well, we've got months left before we leave for college. Just don't tell them until you have to leave."

She smiled slightly and nodded. "I guess. I just hate being compared to my brothers."

"I hate being called 'the playmaker'. It gets old after a while." He muttered.

"I don't think you're the playmaker." She whispered, looking at her hands. "I think you're a really down to earth guy."

Troy smiled softly. "Thanks. I like it when I'm with you."

* * *

Troy pulled up in front of Gabriella's house, a little down so that the truck wouldn't be in view through the windows. He looked across at her as she tucked her hair back under her baseball cap. "Did you enjoy tonight?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I did. It was really sweet. Thank you."

"Don't think anything of it. I'm just glad you enjoyed it." He smiled admiringly at her.

"It's my favourite play." She admitted softly.

"That would explain why you liked it so much." He teased.

She laughed gently under her breath but it trailed off when she saw him staring at her. "What?"

He shook his head and looked away. "No. It's…nothing."

She nodded to herself and breathed out. "So, how much did my ticket cost?"

Troy lifted his head and frowned. "You expect me to let you pay?"

"I want to." Gabriella protested.

"Well, tough. I'm not letting you." He kissed her cheek and sighed.

"Please tell me what's on your mind." She pleaded.

He looked across at her and shrugged. "Don't you find it ironic?"

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"Oh, come on! You're smart. We go and see 'Romeo and Juliet' together, but it had to be in a completely different town and we had to sneak out. Ring any bells?" He asked in a whisper.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. It does."

"Brie?" Troy said in a voice much more confident than his previous question.

She lifted her head and smiled at him. "Yeah?"

"Ummm…" He sighed and shrugged. "I know it's kind of awkward, with the sneaking out and stuff, but do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Gabriella looked away and swallowed nervously. "Troy, that's sweet and all, but-"

"I get it." He muttered, looking back at the dark street in front of him.

"I was going to say," She started pointedly, "that it's sweet of you but you have to understand that we'd both be in trouble if people find out."

"I know." He whispered, still staring out of the windscreen. "And I don't know about you," He paused to look at her affectionately, "but you're worth it."

Gabriella felt a smile tug at her lips. "You're the sweetest guy I've ever met. We don't have guys like you at West." She whispered.

"We don't have girls like you at East." He murmured. "So…"

Gabriella breathed out deeply and leaned across to kiss his cheek. "Yes."


	10. Your Escape

**A/N: I would've written this sooner but my dad got me sony vegas so I've been using that all weekend and I made a Troyella vid to 'love story' by Taylor Swift :P Zac Efron was on 'Ant and Dec's Saturday night takeaway' last night :P HSMandChelseaFCfan will probably be busy until Easter so you're stuck with me :P Don't own HSM x

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Chapter 9 – Your Escape

"Mom!" Troy hissed, poking his head into the kitchen. "Is Dad around?"

"No…" Lucille replied unsurely as she continued to wipe the island counter down. "He went for a morning jog. Why?"

Troy breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped into the kitchen and held his cell phone to his ear. "Okay, I'm back. It's cool, my dad's gone out."

"I wish mine would." Gabriella complained. "You know, it's difficult being one of two women in the house!"

"I'm sure it is, but I don't really know…with me being a guy and all." He joked.

Lucille raised her eyebrows. "Who's on the phone?"

Troy sucked in a breath and grinned innocently. "No one?"

"Troy, just tell her." Gabriella said softly. "You said she knows about me."

Troy sighed. "It's Gabriella."

Lucille smirked. "Did she like 'Romeo and Juliet'?"

"Yes." Troy replied. "Anyway, you're in your room?"

"_Stuck_ in my room. My brothers and sisters-in-law and my nieces and nephews are all here. I need to get out." She muttered. "It's not pretty. I've been thrown up on twice by my pregnant sister-in-law, peed on by my six month old nephew and pooped on by my two year old niece. That's why I called you."

"Hey, now," Troy said softly as he held the phone between his shoulder and ear and began taking food from the fridge and packing it into a wicker hamper, "you want to go to the park? Have that play-date for Blitzen and Daisy?"

"What about us? I'll just be moaning about my brothers." She mumbled.

"That doesn't matter." He dismissed. "Moan all you want. Wait, that came out wrong. You know what I mean. As long as you're with me and not feeling like you're trapped, meet me by the lake, okay? Where I saved you."

Gabriella giggled. "That does sound nice."

"Then, come on. You don't want me to be lonely, do you? Besides, I know a part of the park where no one goes and no one will find us." Troy rolled his eyes as Lucille began smirking at him.

"What about your friends?" She asked timidly.

"What did I just say?" He asked softly. "No one goes there. Just meet me by the lake, okay?"

"Okay." She replied unsurely. "But, Troy?"

"Yeah?" He asked as he picked up a container of pasta salad from the fridge and set it in the hamper.

"Give me some time to have a shower and change my clothes. I stink." She exclaimed. "I look and smell horrible."

He smiled to himself as he closed the hamper. "What did I say last night? You're beautiful and I'd bet you still look beautiful now. But, I'm sure your shower will make you feel better."

"I'm sure it will." She agreed.

"So, how about we meet up in an hour?" Troy proposed.

"Sure. I'll see you then." She said softly before she hung up.

Troy stuffed his cell phone in the pocket of his beige shorts and rolled his eyes at Lucille. "Mom, don't give me that look."

She chuckled as she walked over to him. "You care about her?"

"Yeah." He breathed. "More than anything."

"So…Where are you going with her today?" She asked.

"No way. I'm not telling you." He exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, Troy. I'm not going to tell your father…if that's what you're worried about." Lucille whispered.

"Mom, I don't care. I'm keeping everything a secret because of her. I know what they'd do and I…care about her too much to let that happen. She's special and so unique. She's so innocent…not the like the girls at East. But, to be honest, I wouldn't care if Dad found out. It's just that she doesn't want her dad and brothers to find out." Troy explained.

Lucille smiled and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Honey, I'm proud of you."

Troy shrugged and sighed. "If only Dad would say the same."

"He is proud of you." Lucille exclaimed. "You just need to tell him why you want to pursue theatre and why Gabriella is so important to you."

Troy smiled uncontrollably at her name. "That could take a long time." He admitted.

Lucille smiled and kissed his cheek. "I just don't want you to be hurt at the end of this."

"This isn't about me anymore, Mom." Troy exclaimed. He shrugged sheepishly. "This is about giving Gabriella the escape she both needs and wants. She surrounded by guys going on about basketball everyday."

Lucille raised her eyebrows. "If she's looking to escape that, you're her perfect match." She said sarcastically.

"I don't talk about basketball that much!" He exclaimed indignantly and then whistled towards the hallway. "Blitzen!"

Blitzen bounded into the hallway and skidded to a stop at Troy's feet. He got up on his hind legs, pressing his front paws onto Troy's abdomen, and began licking Troy's neck.

Troy laughed and pushed him down. "Blitzen, we're going to see Daisy and Gabriella. So, I need you to be on your best behaviour." He bent down and attached the leash to Blitzen's collar. He straightened up and smiled at Lucille. "You going to wish me luck?"

"Oh, Baby…My baby boy…" Lucille said softly as she touched his hand.

"Mom…" He grumbled.

She laughed and pulled his head down so she could kiss his forehead. "Just have fun, okay?"

Troy rolled his eyes and picked the hamper up. "Yes, Mom. I don't know when I'll be home so if you don't hear from me, don't do me any dinner, okay?"

Lucille nodded. "Okay, Honey. Have fun."

Troy tugged on Blitzen's leash and sighed. "Come on. We're going to see Daisy."

Blitzen's ears pricked at the name. He galloped out of the room, pulling Troy with him.

"Bye, Mom!" Troy yelled out.

* * *

Gabriella glanced at the clock and smiled slightly. She had a little less than twenty minutes to get to the park. Troy had been right. She felt so much better after her shower and, if she was honest, she couldn't wait to see him again. She had dressed herself in a pale orange blouse and the denim skirt she had worn when they first met. She had left her hair in its natural curls after debating whether to straighten it or not.

She grabbed her dirty clothes and towels and then picked her purse up. She made her way downstairs to the utility room. She threw her laundry into the washing machine and set it off so everything would be clean by the time she got home. As soon as she was back upstairs, she entered the kitchen where Maria was attempting to cook enough food for everyone in the house.

"Hi, Mom." Gabriella grinned.

"Hola, mi hija. What's up?" Maria asked whilst curiously eyeing her daughter.

"Um, can I go, please? I'm not having fun and I had to change my clothes, like, three times. Sharpay would have a heart attack." She joked. "Please?"

"Yeah, that's fine. So, where are you and Mr. Hero meeting?" Maria asked.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "The park. We said that we should have a play-date for Daisy and Blitzen."

"And you?" Maria asked, looking at her daughter.

Gabriella sighed. "It's nothing."

"Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?" Maria whispered.

Gabriella shook her head. "No. I mean, Albuquerque is only a small town so it's more than likely that people will find out someday, but I'm with Troy now and that's all that matter. In six weeks, I'm going to Stanford so, everyone will already have a reason to hate me." She mumbled.

"They won't hate you." Maria said softly.

Gabriella shook her head slightly and looked at the island counter. "Mom, I've fallen in love with a Wildcat. And not only Wildcat, a Bolton." She lifted her head and sighed. "That's kind of suicide on my part."

Maria placed down the knife she was using and wiped her hands on her apron. She took Gabriella's face in her hands and smiled softly. "Stop thinking about your father and brothers. Just be happy but beware of what your brothers would do to Troy if they find out." She kissed Gabriella's forehead.

Gabriella breathed out deeply and nodded. "I will. Where's Daisy?"

"In the lounge." Maria replied.

Gabriella groaned. "When will this day stop getting worse?" She turned to the hallway and lifted her forefinger and thumb to her mouth. She whistled towards the hallway. "Daisy!"

A few moments later, Daisy trotted in with, what looked like, one of Gabriella's nieces' dolls. She had obviously taken it to spite Danny off. And, as predicted, Danny followed her and snatched the doll from Daisy's mouth. "Give it back!"

Daisy whined and stood protectively in front of Gabriella. Gabriella sighed. "Dan, she probably just got excited because of how many people are here."

"Well, get her a proper toy, not my baby's dolly!" Danny exclaimed.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Whatev." She bent down and attached the leash to Daisy's collar before she straightened up and grabbed her bag. "I'll see you later, Mom."

"When will you be back?" Maria enquired.

"I'm not sure. I'll call you if I'm not back for dinner, okay?" Gabriella asked.

"Where are you going?" Danny asked curiously.

"Somewhere quiet and where I don't have to change my clothes every five seconds." Gabriella exclaimed before she tugged on Daisy's leash and pushed past her brothers. She left the house without another word and began making her way to the park.

Her cell phone started ringing and she paused her walk to rummage threw her purse for it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Gabs." Sharpay said tentatively.

"Oh, hey Shar. What's up?" Gabriella asked quietly and then resumed her walk.

"I just wanted to apologise for yesterday. It was out of line and I'm sorry." Sharpay said softly.

"Don't worry about it." Gabriella dismissed. "Everything's building up on me and I kind of took it out on you. I'm sorry, too."

"Friends?"

"Forever." Gabriella giggled as she entered the park.

"Thanks, Gabs. You're a super friend." Sharpay whispered.

"Can I ask one question?" Gabriella asked and waved towards Troy who was stood where he promised he would be. She approached and held up a finger to tell him she'd only be a minute.

"Sure you can." Sharpay replied.

Gabriella looked down as Blitzen affectionately licked Daisy's neck. She looked back up at Troy and they shared a smile. "Why don't you just grab him and kiss him…really. He's in love with you."

"It's not that simple." Sharpay exclaimed.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Well, I've got to go. But, as your best friend, I promise you that he loves you."

"I'll see you later." Sharpay muttered before she hung up.

Gabriella slid her phone closed and dropped it into her bag. "Hey, sorry about that."

"No worries." Troy dismissed before he kissed her cheek. "Shall we go?"

Gabriella nodded. "Sure. What's that?" She pointed to the picnic basket.

Troy shrugged. "I thought, maybe we could have a little picnic while we're here. Is that okay?"

Gabriella smiled brightly. "Yeah. I'd love to."

"Great." Troy said brightly. "Come on, then." He started leading her towards the other side of the lake and through a couple of trees which hid a small field of grass with flowers bordering it. "What do you think?"

"Wow. This place is amazing." She murmured. "No one comes here?"

Troy shook his head as they walked towards the middle of the field. He set the picnic basket down and let Blitzen off the leash. "Just me…and now you. Well, put it this way: no one's come here when I've been here."

Gabriella dropped her bag next to the basket and released Daisy from her leash. "Go on, Baby, go and play." She watched Daisy and Blitzen chase each other and she turned to Troy. "Thank you for this. I just couldn't stand to be in that house."

"Hey, it's fine. Don't think anything of it, okay?" He asked.

She nodded and smiled slightly. "Where are your friends today?"

"Double date." He said simply.

"Ah." She realised as she turned back to Daisy and Blitzen.

"Brie…" Troy whispered.

Gabriella turned to him and he brushed his thumb over her cheek. "What?" She mumbled.

His eyes flickered to her lips and he unconsciously rested one hand on her waist and the other on her neck. "I want to kiss you."

"I might be bad at it." She muttered.

"That's not possible. Have you had boyfriends before?" He asked quietly.

She nodded timidly as the hand on her waist slid around to rest on her lower back. "A couple."

"They're the luckiest guys in the world." He murmured before he closed his eyes and pressed his lips lightly to hers. Her hands trailed up his chest before gripping his shoulders. He pulled back slightly and laughed breathlessly. "Never say you're bad at kissing. Far from it."

Gabriella giggled and opened her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered. "You're not so bad, yourself."

Troy smiled and rested his forehead on hers. "You're so beautiful."

She blushed deeply and looked away. "I find it hard to believe that you of all people would say that."

He brushed his thumb over her cheek and kissed her forehead. He held her tightly against his chest and buried his nose into her hair. "Hmmmm…"

"What?" She asked.

He pulled back and inhaled deeply. "Don't worry. You don't smell like pee, poo or puke. Try saying that five times fast. You smell like chocolate and flowers…and dog."

"You smell like dog, too." She exclaimed. She inhaled the air near his chest and sighed contentedly. "And cologne. But, nice cologne. My brothers sometimes use too much and I don't like it."

He chuckled and let go of her. He opened up the hamper and took out a folded blanket. He laid it out and gestured to it. "Come on, let's sit down." He sat down and smiled when she sat next to him. "So, what's the deal with today? Is it a reunion or something?"

"No." She said softly, staring at the blanket. "My brothers and their wives and kids came around to celebrate Carl and I both getting into U of A on full basketball scholarships. My dad found out about me. I had only told my mom and Shar. And everyone was celebrating. Then, I got peed on, pooped on and vomited on and I couldn't take it anymore."

Troy rested his hand on her knee and sighed. "What college do you want to go to?"

"Um," She swallowed nervously, "I'm going to Stanford."

"Really? That's so cool." Troy exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm already in." She said softly, smiling at him.

"What are you majoring in?" He asked with interest.

"I'm studying medicine." She explained.

"You want to be a doctor?" Troy enquired, lying down and looking up at her.

Gabriella lay next to him and twisted her head to face him. "Yeah. A paediatrician."

"Like your mom?" Troy whispered, slipping his hand into hers.

"Yeah." She whispered. "Since I was six years old, I've wanted to be like my mom."

Troy smiled at her. "You'll be a great doctor."

Gabriella sighed and moved so that her head was resting on his chest. "I'm glad someone thinks so. My dad doesn't even know I want to go to Stanford, much less be doctor."

Troy wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her hair. "Same with me. My dad sees the theatre as a hobby. But, it's just something I want to do."

"I like being with you." She admitted softly.

Troy chuckled. "I like being with you, too. I like you being close to me and you're breathing."

Gabriella giggled and sighed as she returned to her previous position, lying on her back. She closed her eyes and squeezed Troy's hand. "You are my hero, Troy Bolton."

Troy sat up and turned to her. He released her hand and placed each of his hands either side of her head. "Open your eyes." He whispered.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and she smiled up at him. "What?"

"I'm not going anywhere." He promised. "Please remember that. You will always have me close."

She nodded and reached up to cup his cheek. "Thank you."

Troy leaned down and was just about to press his lips to hers when something collided with his side and he was pushed away. Blitzen began licking Troy's face and the young jock coughed and spluttered. He pushed the German shepherd off and sat up. "Blitzen!"

Gabriella sat up and held a hand to her mouth in an attempt to muffle her giggles. "You okay, Troy?" She asked kind of shakily.

Troy glared playfully at her. "That wasn't funny. Where's Daisy?"

Blitzen immediately galloped away towards Daisy who was lying down a few metres away. Troy wiped his face and rolled his eyes. "How did you get Daisy to be so calm?"

Gabriella shuffled closer to Troy and rested a hand on his thigh. "I have five older brothers. Along with that, I have three sisters-in-law, one future sister-in-law and lots of nieces and nephews. She likes to annoy them instead of me."

Troy chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Blitzen just doesn't leave me alone. But, I like it like that. He's my best friend."

Gabriella smiled. "You love him, don't you?"

Troy nodded. "Don't tell anyone but, he's like my baby. He needs so much love and protection. I mean, he's four years old but he's still like a baby."

Gabriella kissed his cheek and he looked at her in confusion. "You're so caring. To be honest, I didn't expect you to be so caring anybody, much less."

"Ouch. Prejudice much?" He asked teasingly.

"It's just from what Carl and Landon said. I guess I really shouldn't trust their judgement." She whispered.

Troy kissed her temple and sighed. "When you left, did your mom say anything?"

"She doesn't want me to be hurt." Gabriella admitted.

Troy smiled. "That's what my mom said."

"It might seem a little selfish but, my brothers and my dad won't take what I want into account. And I want to be with you." She whispered.

Troy kissed her softly on the lips and pulled her onto his lap. "We'll be fine." He promised once they pulled back. "I mean, if all else fails, we can always elope."

"That's our last resort." Gabriella warned.

Troy kissed her nose and smiled at her giggle. "So, are you feeling better now?"

Gabriella nodded against his neck. "Yeah…" She whispered. "Why did you have to be a Wildcat? It wouldn't even be as bad if you were from Sun High. My dad doesn't care about them. I've dated one. But, you had to be a Wildcat, didn't you?"

"To be fair, I didn't really get a choice in the matter." Troy said softly.

She giggled and kissed the skin just under his chin. "True." She lifted her head and smiled at him. "So, how are Jason and Kelsi doing?"

"Like I said, they're on a double date with Chad and Taylor. They just went out for lunch, nothing fancy." He whispered. "I'm jealous of them, though."

"How so?" She whispered, brushing his hair with her fingers.

"They can do what they like. They can kiss in public. They can hold hands in public. They can _talk_ in public. Something we can't do." Troy mumbled.

"I know." Gabriella whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder. She intertwined their fingers together and placed a light kiss to his neck. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?" She mumbled.

"No!" He exclaimed indignantly. He pulled Gabriella to straighten up and face him. "I will never have second thoughts, okay?"

She nodded and smiled slightly. "Okay."

"And we'll get through this. I mean, we've got college coming. Our parents can't tell us what to do forever, can they?" Troy asked.

Gabriella giggled and leaned across to kiss him. "I guess not." She mumbled.

Troy pulled back and smiled. "I will always be your escape."


	11. Sandy

**A/N: This chapter is awesome, I promise lol. HSMandChelseaFCfan is busy and so am I so I don't know when the next update will be. Don't own HSM x

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Chapter 10

**(A/N: This is HSMandChelseaFCfan)**

It had been a few days since Troy and Gabriella had last seen each other due to Gabriella being caught up in some boring family stuff everyday after school. She'd tried to get her mom to understand and let her go since she didn't see Troy at school or at home but Maria had just retaliated saying she needed to spend some time with her family. Her father had also kept bugging her about the fact she never seemed to be home. Troy had reassured her, when she told him about how she was being forced to stay home, that it was fine and they could do something together soon. Plus he knew he'd been kind of ignoring his friends of late so at least it gave him time to play some hoops with Chad and the guys.

The time spent with Troy didn't feel like it had only been a few days but more like a lifetime. It was like he was the missing part of her, her heart's missing piece. It scared her how strong her feelings had become in such a short space of time. It was like she was dependent on Troy; he was the reason that she kept going, knowing no matter what she did or whoever she was, he would be there for her twenty four, seven.

"Hey." Gabriella turned to the side, Daisy also lifting her head from her owner's lap as the two sat quietly in the garden enjoying the sunny day, to see Sharpay standing behind her.

"Hey." Running her hand over Daisy's smooth coat of fur, the brunette watched as her best friend came closer and sat next to her."Shar, are you ok?"

Sharpay looked at her confused. "How do you mean?"

"I mean you're sitting on the grass in your designer skirt. You never do that unless Zeke or someone is around for you to boss around and order them to let you sit on them – not that Zeke minds. Are you sure you're not ill?" Gabriella joked.

The blonde rolled her eyes at her friend's dramatic words. She wasn't as shallow as some people thought she was, honest. "I'm going to ignore that question." The two smirked at each other before bursting out laughing. "I just came around to say sorry if I went too far the other day and I promise I'll stop. No guy is worth losing a sister over."

"It's okay. You're forgiven. I'm sorry too. I was just so stressed that day and took my frustration out on you." The back door slammed shut and Gabriella knew her brother's and Zeke were on their way out to play some basketball. She could see Sharpay desperately trying not to turn.

"Don't worry I'm not going to go all crazy on you. Today, I'm all yours. How about we make ourselves scarce and do a girls day? Daddy said if I need to we can book out the whole spa so we won't be interrupted." Sharpay offered.

Thinking it over, Gabriella shrugged. "I got nothing better to do so I may as well. I'm supposed to be spending 'quality bonding time with my cousins' according to my dad but I'm sure they won't mind me skipping out on them since they're all to up themselves to notice me."

Moving Daisy's head off her lap, Gabriella stood up first and pulled up Sharpay as they went to find her mom. Before they could move though, Gabriella heard her phone beep in her jean shorts pocket indicating she had a message. Sharpay watched curiously as the petite girl read her message, a slight blush appearing on her face. "Who's that?"

"Huh? Oh, no one important. Come on." Feeling confused knowing her best friend was obviously hiding something, Sharpay decided to make it her personal mission today to find out exactly who that person was that obviously sent her friend into a complete day dream.

***

Troy had just finished his latest game of one on one with Chad at the latter's house. He wiped his forehead with his discarded t-shirt from earlier while grabbing his phone and sending Gabriella a text as he hadn't spoken to her yet today and he was having withdrawal symptoms which freaked him out. She was all that was on his mind.

Chad clapped Troy on the back as the two caught their breath. "Yo, hoops, dude. What the heck is up with you? You were on fire. Whatever it is you have been doing keep it up and make sure it lasts until at least our game with the knights. With you playing like that they will be kissing our trophy goodbye."

Troy laughed. "Don't worry, Chad, I have no intention in giving it up."

"Well how about you let your most bestest best friend in on your secret?" Chad suggested as Troy rolled his eyes.

"Date a knight." Troy murmured as Chad burst out laughing.

"Funny, dude. But fine if you want to keep it to yourself, fine. Just don't blame me if we lose because you wouldn't let me in on your secret."

Troy watched Chad walk and shook his head. He knew that Chad wouldn't even believe him if he told the truth.

***

Gabriella sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day as she relaxed into the warm bubbling Jacuzzi. Sharpay had been on her case all day about who her mystery texter was. It was funny at first, seeing how much it was driving the blonde crazy because she didn't know something but now it had become annoying.

**(A/N: This is me)**

"Shar, shut up." Gabriella muttered as she closed her eyes.

"I'm just saying," Sharpay exclaimed, "you should tell me because I'm your best friend. We tell each other everything."

"I know, Shar." Gabriella sighed, opening her eyes and facing her friend. "And I told you, it was no one. It was Nick Robinson, if you must know." Gabriella mumbled, referring to a quarterback on the football team. She wasn't lying, he had text her a couple of minutes after her and Sharpay had left the house.

Sharpay seemed to ponder the thought. "He got a hold of your number _again_?"

Gabriella sighed and nodded. "Yes. He did. It's quite annoying, actually."

"It's verging on stalking, Gabs." Sharpay joked.

"Nah. Do you really think any guy in Albuquerque would be brave enough to stalk me?" Gabriella asked and giggled at the irony of it. Troy was, in a way, stalking her…Except she didn't mind it when he did.

Sharpay giggled as well. "I doubt it. Ry and Zeke would kill him, too. There's an upside to having brothers, isn't there?"

"Absolutely." Gabriella agreed. "They could let off a bit, though. I mean, I just hope that when I find 'Mr Right' they're going to support me and not treat me like the five year old little girl I know they see me as." _Ha. Like they'd support me right now!_

Sharpay smiled slightly. "Well, I don't know. I mean, I've only got Ry. I know he just sees me as me. But, it's got to be hard. You're one of six, Gabs."

"I know." Gabriella whispered. "It's hard. But, I wouldn't swap it for anything. They might annoy me to hell but I love them."

Sharpay eyed her friend suspiciously. "Have you talked to your dad about Stanford, yet?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No."

"Have you heard from Stanford?" Sharpay asked again.

Gabriella shook her head again, looking intently at the warm water bubbling around her. "No." She suddenly stood up and looked down at her friend. "I need to use the restroom, okay?"

Sharpay stood up. "I'll come with you."

Gabriella managed a small smile and shook her head. "I'm fine. You stay here." She stepped out in her black and white striped bikini and grabbed her towel, wrapping it around her body.

She walked carefully on the tile flooring, trying desperately not to fall – she knew Troy wouldn't be able to cope if she was hurt and he couldn't see her. She walked into the changing rooms and because she and Sharpay were the only people there, they had simply left their stuff on the benches. She rummaged through her bag and brought out her cell phone.

Her finger paused over the number one – Troy was speed dial. Sharpay could walk in. Troy could be with his friends. They could get caught so easily. She couldn't deny that there was some doubt in her mind. But, she also couldn't deny how in love she was with Troy. She couldn't bear to think of how she survived without him after she met him. That was why she didn't want to talk about college, even with Sharpay who she could tell anything.

She didn't want to be away from Troy. She would be in Silicon Valley, a thousand miles away, hopefully in two months if she got accepted to Stanford's freshmen's honour programme.

She couldn't stand it.

Her finger pressed the call button and she held it to her ear as she sat down on the bench. The ring tone went on and on. She was about to hang up when it was cut off abruptly and a breathless and angelic voice rang through her ear. "Hello?"

* * *

Troy threw the ball towards the basket and grinned as it fell right through. "Ha!" He exclaimed. "Those Knights don't know what's coming."

Chad poked his tongue out rather childishly. "Well, that's the only good thing about losing today. Man, where have you been to get you so good. You've barely been around."

"I want to pass and graduate." Troy exclaimed.

Chad rolled his eyes. "So you've been studying straight for the past week?"

"Well, no but I-" Troy was cut off by his cell phone ringing from the wooden bench on the other side of the court. He sighed and hit Chad over the head. "Just shoot some free throws while I'm on the phone." He jogged over to the table and picked his phone up. "Hello?"

"Troy." Gabriella said in relief. "Are you okay? You sound out of breath."

"I'm kind of in the middle of a one-on-one with Chad at the minute." He explained, glancing over at his best friend who seemed too absorbed in the orange ball to acknowledge Troy's conversation.

"Oh, I'll call you back. It doesn't matter." She mumbled.

"Of course it does. Carry on." He said softly.

She sighed deeply. "I miss you."

He chuckled. "I know." The chuckle died off and he became serious. "Me too."

"Hoops!" Chad called. "Come on."

"One minute." Troy yelled back. "Well, what can we do?"

"Give me an hour to get home, okay?" Gabriella suddenly decided. "I'm at Lava Springs with Shar at the moment but in an hour, climb my tree?"

"Why?" Troy asked.

"So we can see each other. I'll text you to tell you whether my brothers are playing basketball or not. Okay?" Gabriella asked.

Troy suddenly smiled. "Cool. An hour." He hung up and reached for his shirt. He pulled it over his head and pulled a fistful of the material to his nose. "Shower." He muttered as he jogged over to Chad. "Dude, my mom wants me home. I'm sorry. I'll see you later?"

"Of course, Dude. Why does your mom want you?" He asked.

Troy shrugged. "Who knows? See you later."

* * *

Gabriella stood precariously on her desk chair, looking on her very top shelf of where she kept her books. She had finished 'Romeo and Juliet' and was searching for another one to sooth her desire to read. She had left Sharpay half an hour ago, claiming that her father wanted her to at least _try_ to act civilised around her cousins. She hadn't spoken to Greg since she entered the house. She had text Troy five minutes ago, telling him that her brothers were inside but he was running a few minutes late. Her hair was still damp after showering when she came in and she had changed into a blue Knight tank top and some yellow denim shorts.

She was a little nervous about showing off more of her body to Troy but it was warm that she just wasn't comfortable in anything else. Besides, if Troy didn't take her as she was – even though she was madly in love with him – she would wave goodbye to him.

A creak to her left caught her off guard and she leant backwards in shock at being brought out of her thoughts. She felt her body begin to lean back and she tried desperately to reach out for the shelf but she could grasp it. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the collision with the ground.

Instead, she felt one strong and familiar arm support her from her back and another support her by her knees. She let her breathing even out before letting her eyes flutter open. She grinned up at Troy and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. "Troy!" She whispered into his ear as her hands ran through his hair. "Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry."

"Whoa, hold up. Why are you apologising?" He asked as he walked them over to her bed and sat them down, Gabriella sitting happily in his lap, burying her nose into his neck.

"I've been so busy." She muttered into his skin.

"It's cool, I said I didn't mind and I don't. We're together now and that's all that matters." HE said softly, kissing her hair.

Daisy awoke from all of the commotion and yawned over in her basket. She padded over to the bed and jumped up onto it next to Troy. She started wagging her tail and licked Troy's cheek.

He chuckled and ruffled Daisy's ears. "Hey, Daisy."

She padded away, obviously contented by Troy's attention and jumped off of the bed again to go back over to her bed. Gabriella giggled and lifted her head from Troy's shoulder to look at him. "I missed you."

"I know." He whispered, tightening his arms around her waist. "I missed you, too." He leaned down and kissed her deeply, swallowing her gasp. He pulled back and smiled at her. "Don't think anything of it, though, okay?"

She nodded and kissed his cheek. "Okay."

"Promise?" Troy asked.

"Promise." She agreed.

"What was that all about?" Troy asked. "Do you always fall off of stuff?"

"No!" She exclaimed. "I was finding a book. I don't even know why my dad put it up there. I'm never going to reach that."

"Hmmmm…" Troy muttered, leaning down to kiss her neck. "I love this shirt."

"It's a Knight one." She mumbled into his hair.

"I know." He muttered into her skin.

She felt his warm fingers dance up and down her back through the fabric of her tank top. She had considered asking Troy to take things slow. But then he kissed her and she couldn't take it slow. She wanted him to touch her and to kiss her. He was so gentle whenever he touched her. He knew that her experience with boys was somewhat lacking due to her brothers and he was always asking her if she was okay.

He pulled back and smiled at her. "Can I climb your tree every night?"

She giggled and pressed her lips to his. "As long as you bring homework." She muttered against his lips.

Troy pulled back and frowned. "Homework?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and slid off of his lap. "Yes, homework. I'm not being responsible for you flunking." She walked over to her desk and picked up some papers.

Troy wandered over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "How did you get an A plus in math?" He asked, eyeing the test in her hands.

She twisted her head to look at him. "Troy I need pretty much all As to get into medical school. I just learn it because I need to be a doctor."

He swooped down and captured her lips perfectly in a kiss. She dropped the papers carelessly onto her desk and turned in his arms. "Are you okay?" He asked breathlessly as he pulled back to look in her eyes.

She nodded and rested her hands comfortably on his chest. "Yeah."

Troy smiled and led her back over to her bed. They both got comfy in lying positions with Gabriella resting her head on his chest. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure." She replied.

"Why do you want to be a doctor?" Troy asked quietly.

She laughed breathlessly. "I told that I've wanted to be a doctor since I was six years old, right?"

"Yeah." He whispered.

"When I was six years old, I was playing with all of my brothers. Danny, my oldest brother, was eighteen, and we were just playing. I mean, Carl and I were playing basketball by ourselves – with a smaller basketball, of course – and we were pretty much doing our own thing. Basically, I fell over and broke my left arm. Obviously, Danny drove us to the hospital and my mom looked it over and gave me a cast and stuff. It was pink." Gabriella lifted her head to look into Troy's eyes.

He smiled at her. "Pink?"

"Shar picked it out." Gabriella giggled. "And because my mom was working, she said she'd much prefer me to stay there. So, I was playing with other kids and I met this girl. She was only three. But, it was like we were already best friends. She was called Sandy because when she was born, she had blonde hair. She was dressed in this pink nightgown with little pink hearts on it."

Troy ran his comfortingly up and down her arm as he saw the memorable smile on her face. "Yeah?"

Gabriella seemed to snap out of a memory and she nodded. "Yeah. But, she also didn't have any hair. She had a wilms tumour." She whispered.

Troy pulled her closer, seeing the tears in her eyes. "This might sound dumb," He started quietly, "but, what's a wilms tumour?"

She smiled up at him. "It's not dumb. It's usually in children and it's basically a tumour on one of the kidneys. Anyway, she never stopped smiling. She had this bear. A tattered old thing. She wouldn't let it go. She had to have a tube up her nose to help her breathe and everything. But she never stopped smiling."

"You don't have to tell me the rest." Troy offered.

She shook her head slightly. "It's okay. And in later years, my mom told me that Sandy only lived three months after that. I didn't know until I was ten. But, the smile Sandy had on her face was down to my mom. My mom will just do everything to make sure the kids in that hospital are well and comfortable…and happy. So, every so often, I buy a few cuddly toys and take them down there." Tears were rolling down her cheeks and Troy pulled her even closer to him and she began crying into his neck.

Troy smiled into her hair. What she said was right: she _needed_ to be a doctor. He knew that Stanford was what she needed and how anyone could overlook her passion for helping children was beyond him. It was clear that all she really wanted was to help children. For obvious reasons he wanted her to want him more than anything. But, he was glad that the thing she wanted more than him was to help children.

He pulled back and kissed her forehead. "You really want it, don't you?"

Gabriella's eyes were shiny as she smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Since that day when I broke my arm. When my mom tucked me in that night, I said 'Momma, I want to be like you when I grow up'."

Troy brushed his lips across hers. "You'll be a great doctor."

"Gabby, Princess, are you okay?" Greg asked through the door.

"Yes, Daddy, I'm fine." Gabriella replied as Troy hurriedly scrambled under the bed.

"You sure? I thought I heard voices." He asked uncertainly.

"I'm just watching 'Romeo and Juliet'." Gabriella replied.

"Okay, Princess. Well, your mother's making dinner soon."

"Okay. I'll be down in ten minutes, I promise." Gabriella called.

As Greg's footsteps faded away, Troy got out from under the bed and sat on the edge. "This is my cue to go?"

Gabriella sat up and smiled as she touched his cheek. "Yeah."

Troy leaned down and kissed her with every ounce of passin he held within his body. Her arms wound around his torso as their tongues danced together. "I'll come back." He murmured breathlessly as he moved down to her neck.

"Okay." She whispered as her hands felt his muscles rippling in his back. His lips' caresses moved to the other side of her neck and she gasped. She pulled back and smiled at him. "I'll see you later?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I'll call you before I come around, okay?"

Gabriella kissed him one last time and she smiled against his lips. "I'll be waiting."

Troy got to his feet and turned to her, pointing at her desk chair. "Don't stand on that thing ever again. I might not be there you fall. Just ask me to get a book down." He disappeared through her balcony doors, shutting them behind him, and then he jumped over the railing.

Gabriella sighed and fell back onto the bed. "What if I've already fallen?"


	12. Lovebug

**A/N: HSMandChelseaFCfan isn't around atm, so this was just me. And I won't be able to update from Monday because I'm away. Don't worry, I've got my laptop so I'll be writing...I just can't update.**

**Don't own HSM or 'Do ya' by McFly (A British band who I love so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) x

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Chapter 11 – Lovebug

Troy walked into his house, humming some song he had heard once on Kelsi's mp3 player. Chad was right. Ever since he met Gabriella – even more since she became his girlfriend – he had been much more enthusiastic about everything. To be honest, he thought his parents were getting a little freaked out by it. His game was so much better – Jack had actually started saying 'well done' – and he didn't argue when Lucille asked him to do chores. He was much more talkative around his friends again – unless they were discussing college or Knights – and it just then occurred to him that it was because of Gabriella. She was like the light at the end of a dark tunnel of confusion.

He jogged through to the kitchen where he heard his parents talking and he burst through the door, grinning at them both. "Isn't life simply wonderful?" He asked.

Lucille paused her chopping of carrots and Jack lowered the newspaper he was reading. Blitzen came bounding in from the back yard and skidded at Troy's feet. He placed his front paws on Troy's torso and began licking his neck and cheeks. He eventually calmed down and trotted over to eat some of his biscuits in the corner.

"Wonderful? Son, are you high?" Jack asked sceptically.

"Ha ha!" Troy laughed sarcastically before he wandered towards Lucille and kissed her cheek. "Yes, wonderful. Can't your only son simply enjoy life?"

"Troy, it's not that." Lucille said softly. "We were just worried. We thought a few weeks ago, you were going back into…well, you know what happened."

Troy rolled his eyes and turned to Blitzen. "Nah! That big hunk of hyperness would never let that happen."

Jack chuckled. "Do your friends know Blitzen is your baby?"

Troy shrugged. "If I'm not talking about basketball or girls, all they hear is 'blah, blah, blah'."

Lucille giggled. "And you? Which girl has you acting like a crazy man?"

"I'm not crazy!" Troy exclaimed indignantly.

Lucille raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

Troy shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Okay…" Jack spoke slowly. "I still think you're high."

"Jack!" Lucille exclaimed. "Our son is not on drugs."

Jack folded his paper and held his hands up. "I'm sorry but I haven't seen our son this happy since…well, since when we first brought Blitzen home."

Blitzen woofed happily at the sound of his name and trotted over to Troy. Said teenager ruffled the dog's fur and then turned back to his parents. "Why can't I simply enjoy life without being accused of doing drugs?"

Jack sighed. "Son, these past weeks, with all the college talk, you just haven't been…uh…"

"Excited?" Troy tried.

"I was going to say on Earth." Jack admitted.

"Jack! Not the way to improve our son's self esteem." Lucille exclaimed.

Jack frowned. "He's captain of the Wildcats. He has plenty of self-esteem."

Troy rolled his eyes and wandered over to the fridge for some milk. He began to sing softly under his breath the song from Kelsi's mp3 player. Images of Gabriella fleeted across the front of his mind. She was so beautiful. With her dark, luscious curls, her innocent, chocolate eyes, her high cheekbones, her small, soft hands, her toned, golden legs and everything in between. Her giggle had begun to be like a song he had heard on the radio and now it was stuck in his head. His brain began registering every single time they had touched. The way her body felt against his as he swam to the surface of the lake, the feeling of his lips over hers as he saved her, the way her hand felt in his whilst he drove to Santa Fe, the feel of every curve beneath his hands…and, oh, my god, her tongue against his was like dying and floating up to heaven.

_Do ya, do ya, do ya love me?  
Do ya need a little time?  
Do ya, do ya, do ya want me?  
Oh, to hold you when you cry_

Gabriella was like a damn angel. He suddenly chuckled to himself. _Yeah, a damn seductive angel_. Since he had saved her, he had lost count the number of times he had woken up after a dream about her and then needed an extremely cold shower. And she was basically oblivious to how much exactly she affected him.

"Troy?" Lucille whispered carefully.

Troy pulled the milk carton from the fridge and turned to his mother as he shut the door. "Yeah?"

"Who is she?" She asked knowingly, sending her son a smirk when she was facing away from Jack.

"Who's who?" Troy asked, feigning innocence.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "The girl that's got your panties in a twist."

"For your information," Troy started as he took a gulp from the carton, "my _boxers_ are very untwisted."

"Give me that!" Lucille exclaimed, snatching the milk from her son.

"Is it Lindsay?" Jack enquired.

"The cheer captain? Hell no." Troy replied, pretending to puke.

"Then who is it?" Jack asked.

"It's, um, you don't know her." Troy confessed.

"It seems like you have the lovebug, Sweetheart." Lucille sang as she scraped some chopped up carrots into a pan.

"The lovebug?" Troy asked uncertainly. "Why don't I like where this is going?"

"Do you like this girl?" Lucille asked.

"Yeah." He replied. It was as if his mother had just asked if the sky was blue.

"Do you get butterflies around her?"

Troy glanced at Jack and sighed. "A little bit. Okay, a lot."

"How many cold showers have you needed because you've been thinking about her?"

"Mom!" Troy exclaimed. "I'm not answering that question."

Jack stifled his laugh with the back of his hand and lifted his newspaper to hide his grin. "Son, you're hooked."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Since when do you two decipher my love life? I thought that was Chad's job?"

Lucille laughed. "Baby, you haven't been on a date in months."

Troy shrugged. "So?"

"You've fallen for 'mystery girl'." Jack spoke slowly, as if Troy didn't speak English.

Troy brought his cell phone out upon feeling the vibration from it and smiled when he saw it was a text from Gabriella telling him that she already missed him. As he replied, telling her he missed her, too, he pondered his parents' words. Was he in love with her? The most prominent reason for a guy to fall in love with her was because of three words. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. But, he knew her. He knew what she felt, what she thought…what she wanted to do when she left college. She was so innocent – something that girls who were mildly interested in him never showed – and caring. She felt the same about the feud as he did. She lived because she dreamt of saving people's lives.

Troy breathed out as he snapped his phone shut and stuffed it into his jeans. He turned away from his parents and used his hand to cover his eyes. "Oh, God."

"He finally realises it." Lucille squealed.

Troy turned back to her and glared. "Funny. I'm not admitting it because it's not true. I'm not going to be here for dinner."

"When did you decide this?" Lucille asked.

"Just now." Troy replied.

"Where are you going?" Jack asked.

"I'm going over to Chad's tonight. So, I'll see you later." He dashed out of the room and pulled his cell phone out as he left the house and headed back towards West Albuquerque. He called Chad, telling him that his parents though he was at his best friend's but was, in fact, going someplace else. When Chad asked where Troy was going, he simply replied that he needed some space and asked Chad if he could cover for him. Whilst walking towards Gabriella's house, he bought a couple of kebabs and ate them just in time to see Gabriella's house come into view. He threw his trash into a nearby can and headed around to the backyard.

He climbed up Gabriella's tree but paused as he looked down and saw her eating dinner. She was surrounded by her brothers – sitting next to Carl – and she looked happy. She and Carl were obviously teasing each other but he could see her smile. She had obviously resolved things with him as well as Sharpay. She seemed truly happy. He now understood why she hadn't told them that she wanted to be a doctor – she didn't want to disappoint them. She looked so comfortable down there. Surrounded by her family. He released an uncontrollable chuckle when he saw her glance towards her tree and her eyes widened.

He continued climbing onto her balcony and checked the handle on the door: open. "Is she crazy?" He muttered as he entered her bedroom and shut the door behind him. He slipped his shoes off and wandered over to lie down on her bed. He saw her _Romeo and Juliet _book on her bedside cabinet and he picked it up.

_How ironic_. His thoughts flew back the beyond-embarrassing conversation he had with Jack and Lucille. Romeo had been truly in love with Juliet from the moment he saw her. Troy hadn't been able to stop thinking about Gabriella from the moment he met her. His friends would so kick his ass if he knew he was thinking of love at first sight, especially that it had been with a Knight.

That's right: Troy Bolton finally realised he was in love with Gabriella Montez.

He turned to the door when it creaked open and Gabriella stepped in, locking the door behind her. She crawled onto the bed and curled into him, already basking in his glorious scent. "What are you doing here?" She asked whilst running her hand over his arm.

He chuckled and tightened his arms around her. "I thought you wanted me to come back?"

"I thought you were having dinner." She sat up and looked down on him. She smiled softly and brushed her fingers through his hair. "You need to have some dinner."

He shrugged. "I grabbed some kebabs on the way. It's fine."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss him chastely. "Your parents don't mind you being out this early and not going home?"

He shrugged, looking up at her in admiration. "I told them I was going to Chad's. And before you say anything, I called Chad to warn him and told him I just needed some space. So, if my parents call his house, he's going to say I'm in the bathroom, then call me to call them on my cell phone."

"Got it all figured out, huh?" She asked and then looked towards his hand. "What are you doing with my book?"

"I was just thinking, is all. You're not still in the middle of dinner, are you?" He asked suddenly.

She giggled and shook her head. "We finished. It's fine. Could you do me a favour, though?"

"Of course, Baby. Anything." He whispered, stroking her cheek.

She blushed and turned away to point at the shelf. "Could you get 'Dear John' from the shelf, please? As you won't let me stand on my chair and all…"

Troy got up from the bed and stretched onto his tiptoes to get her book down. "Hey, I would die if you were hurt, had to go into hospital and I couldn't see you." He walked back over and lay down again. He handed her book to her and smiled when she got comfortable again, her head resting on his chest. "Baby, what's the book about?"

"Have you ever read a Nicholas Spark book before?" She asked absent-mindedly as she scanned the blurb.

"Isn't he the dude that wrote _The Notebook_?" He asked thoughtfully.

"Uh-huh. I love him. I mean, his writing. Uh, because I've never met him and he's married…" She furrowed her brow and flicked to the first page. "Anyway, it's a romance, obviously…"

"You like romance?" He asked quietly.

"I love it." She whispered. "My brothers sometimes tease me about it."

"How are you and Carl doing now?" He asked seriously.

"We're better. Troy, he's my brother, we're going to fight. But, we always make up. Besides, we're twins. It's like something clicks in our heads when we see each other the next day and we just forget about it." She explained, giggling.

Troy looked intently into her eyes and something there made him lean down and press a light kiss to her lips. However, she obviously wasn't satisfied and dropped her book over the side of the bed and pulled Troy even closer to her. He carefully lay on top of her and smiled against her lips. Her hands wrapped around his neck and she immediately parted her lips the moment she felt his tongue begging for entrance.

He pulled back momentarily and smiled down at her. He pushed some curls behind her ear and kissed her nose. "Are you okay?"

She nodded shyly from underneath him. "Yeah. Just you being near me makes me more than okay."

He lowered his face her neck and sighed against her skin. "Brie, you mean so much to me."

Her hands wandered down his back and tugged on his shirt. "Troy, you're amazing." She whispered breathlessly as her fingers traced his well defined eagle wings.

He leaned back onto his haunches and looked down on her as she pulled his shirt over his head. She let her fingers trace the contours of his chest and she bit her lip. "Like it?" He asked teasingly.

"You're mine?" She asked herself more than him.

He lowered himself onto her again and nodded, smiling down on her. "No one else's." He whispered. "But, the question I need the answer to is: how on Earth did I find you?"

She giggled as he kissed her cheek. The action was simple, but as she felt his hand softly caress her waist, she could sense and reciprocate his desire and adoration he felt for her. She moved her hips slightly to get more comfortable when she frowned and gripped his shoulder. "Troy?" She asked curiously.

"What?" He muttered into her neck.

She sat them both up and giggled softly at his bemused expression. "I just wondered…It's, um, oh, God, I'm sorry."

Troy reached across and held her cheek. "Hey, it's okay. Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head and kissed his palm. "I'm fine. I was just curious…Troy, you're the one guy I've let things go this far with. I don't know why, really, because we haven't been together all that long. But, I always imagined that as soon as the guy's shirt was off, things would…_go up_ and, you know…Why hasn't it?" She asked, looking away to hide her face which had gone a deep crimson.

"Brie?" Troy whispered. "Brie, come on, look at me. It's just me. You don't have to be embarrassed about it. It's fine."

Gabriella turned to him and smiled weakly as she moved into his open arms, nuzzling her nose against her neck. "I just ruined the mood, didn't I?"

"Hey, it's fine." Troy soothed her quietly, rocking her back and fore. "The reason I don't have an erection – by the way, Brie, we're both grown up, you can use the actual word – is because I can see it in your eyes. You're not ready. As much as I love the thought of making love to you, you're way too important to let my testosterone push you away." He kissed her hair comfortingly over and over again, knowing she was way too embarrassed to say anything.

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

"I don't want to hear it. You've got nothing to be sorry for." He whispered.

She finally lifted her head after a couple more moments and sighed. "I was just curious." She muttered.

He smiled and touched her cheek. "You're simply perfect. If I'd gone that far with an East girl, we wouldn't be talking right now."

She giggled and suddenly lunged at Troy, pushing him back onto her mattress. Her hands rested either side of his head and she leaned down and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. She felt his arms curl around her waist and she pulled back, looking deeply into his eyes. "You're so considerate and caring…I love…" She paused when she saw his eyebrows rise in curiosity, "that in a guy." She finished quietly.

There was suddenly a knock on the door and then they heard Maria's voice yell down the hall before there was another knock on the door.

Gabriella got up to make her way to the door whilst Troy quickly grabbed his shirt and shoes. She pulled her door open and smiled at Maria. "Hey, Mom. What's up?"

Maria eyed her daughter curiously. "Nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to join us? We're going to be watching _Sixth Sense_ and Zeke has baked us some of his cookies."

Gabriella bit her lip. "Mom, I've seen that film six times and I'm still scared. I don't like it. I was planning on having a quiet night."

"Are you okay, mi hija?" She asked suspiciously.

"Mmmmhhhmmmmmm." Gabriella replied, smiling softly.

Maria looked down the hallway and leaned towards her only daughter. "So, is Mr Hero making you stay in your room or what?"

Gabriella pulled Maria into the room and shut the door. "Mom, will you listen to yourself? It's ridiculous."

Maria raised her eyebrows. "Ridiculous?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah." She whispered.

"Why is there a hand on the floor, then?" She asked, looking directly at a hand poking out from under Gabriella's bed.

Gabriella turned to where she was looking and rolled her eyes. She bent down and tugged on it. "Very subtle." She muttered sarcastically.

Troy began crawling out from under her bed and smiled sheepishly up at Maria. "Hello, Mrs Montez."

Gabriella helped Troy up and then realised that his lack of shirt could've been taken the wrong way. "Mom, this isn't what…um…Oh, dang it. I'm sorry, Mom."

Troy wrapped an arm around her waist and he kissed her temple. "I'll go home, Mrs Montez. I'm sorry for the intrusion." He let go of her and pulled his shirt over his head.

"Calm down, the both of you." Maria said sternly.

Gabriella and Troy glanced at each other and both sat down on Gabriella's bed. Troy took her hand and squeezed it. "Okay…" Gabriella spoke slowly, looking wearily up at Maria.

Maria sighed. "I know my daughter. I know that she wouldn't sleep with anyone unless she was positive he was the one. So, calm down. Just answer me one question: why didn't you tell me this boy had made his move?"

Gabriella giggled softly and shrugged. "I don't know. It happened on the night I went to Santa Fe with him. But, Mom, this isn't some…fling. We want this. Honestly."

"Mrs Montez, it's true. I've never met anyone more perfect than your daughter and I don't plan on giving her up for anything." Troy said seriously.

Maria smiled. "I get that. And I understand that your relationship is complicated so I'll let you stay. Just don't let your father catch you like that."

"I don't plan on it." Gabriella said as she stood up and hugged her mother. "Thank you, Mom."

Maria kissed her forehead and headed for the door. "No worries, mi hija."

Gabriella locked the door behind Maria before returning to Troy. She immediately straddled his lap and bit her lip. "Are you okay with my mom knowing?"

Troy leaned down and pressed reassuring kisses to her neck and her collar bone. His fingers drew lines lightly up and down her back. "If you're okay with it, Baby, I am, too." He whispered.

She sighed contentedly as she fiddled with his hairs. "As long as you're with me, I'll be just fine."


	13. My brothers

**A/N: I'm back. Bad news: I only wrote this chapter :( I still have coursework to do and I'm back at school on monday. Good news: I saw 17 again! I loved it!!!! OMG Zac Efron was so hot! But, when is he not? I loved it. I think I just said that. Oh well. HSMandChelseaFCfan didn't help me write this but I'm about to e-mail her and ask how she is :) don't own HSM x

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Chapter 12 – My brothers

Roughly a month ago, Gabriella officially met Troy Bolton. She had known he existed and she had, of course, seen him at every Knights versus Wildcats basketball game – whilst Gabriella went to every game to support, not only her brothers but, Greg, Troy went to every single Wildcats game since he was born to support Jack. However, they hadn't spoken a word to each other…ever. Growing up, she had seen East Albuquerque and everyone in it – especially Boltons – as things to hate. She had to hate everything on that side of her hometown simply because she was a Montez. Carl and Landon and every one of her brothers had told her that Troy and the rest of the Wildcats were trouble and that they saw her as a spoilt brat.

Then she met him.

Troy had proved her wrong. Whilst she was reluctant to hate anyone – it was such a strong word – she found it somewhat easier to strongly dislike Troy Bolton because she assumed that he would be so into the feud as everyone else was.

She was in love with him.

And there wasn't anything she could do about it. If anything, she was just falling more and more in love with him with every passing minute. They had spent the night together, kissing and whispering to each other about their hopes and dreams and simply how much they enjoyed being with each other. But, when she had woken up, she had been confused that she was the only one occupying the bed. She had sat up and stretched somewhat gracefully and then noticed a small cardboard box and a piece of paper folded up. The note told her that Troy had needed to get back to his house but couldn't stand the thought of waking her up because she looked so beautiful. Inside the box, she had found a toasted cheese and ham sandwich which he had bought for her for breakfast.

Now, though, she was sitting on the grass near the lake with Daisy and mindlessly picking petals off of a flower. Daisy was lying faithfully beside her and felt no desire to run off even though Gabriella had already taken her off the leash. She was dressed in a simple pair of denim shorts and a simple yellow tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she kept sliding her phone up and down expectantly.

After Gabriella had eaten and dressed, through a very brief text message conversation, they had agreed to meet at park. Hence, her presence near the lake. And Troy was ten minutes late. She wasn't mad. She was a great believer in giving people the benefit of the doubt. But, she was disappointed more than anything. She appreciated that anything could of happened – God forbid – to him, but if it came to light that he had simply needed to hang out with his friends, he could've texted her.

She released a sigh and then felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around, squinting against the sun, and saw Carl, Landon and Zeke looking down on her. "What are you guys doing here?"

Carl bent down to her level and ran his hand through Daisy's fur. "Can't we play some ball in the park?"

She giggled and shrugged. "I didn't know you were coming."

"What are you doing here?" Landon asked.

"Thinking." She whispered.

"What about?" Zeke asked seriously.

Gabriella attached the leash to Daisy's collar and got to her feet and Carl returned to his full height. "You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore. It's not important."

"You okay?" Carl asked worriedly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and giggled. "I'm fine. Or I'm going to be. I'm not sure. Just one of those days, I guess."

"You fancy some ball?" Zeke offered, holding out his basketball.

Gabriella considered for a moment before she reached for it and she stared down on it in her hand. "You sure you don't mind getting your butts kicked by your little sister?" She lifted her head and smirked at them.

Carl wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they began heading towards the basketball court in the park. "You'll be fine, Bells. Whatever's bothering you will work out."

Gabriella glanced at her phone one last time before she slipped it into her shorts pocket. "I know. At least I have you guys. I'm sorry if I've been a little scarce recently. A lot's been going on."

"Hey, don't worry about it, sis." Landon exclaimed jokingly.

Gabriella giggled as they entered the wire mesh which surrounded the court. She let Daisy off of her leash and bounced the ball a couple of times before she shot it through the hoop. "Teams?"

The three males glanced at each other before they began playing rock, paper, scissors. It wasn't that they didn't want to be on her team, it was the opposite. They all wanted to be on her team. Carl let out a yell of victory and jogged over to Gabriella. "Can you cope with me, sis?"

"I think I can. I mean, we do have twin telepathy, after all." She teased Landon and Zeke after an inside joke which started when they were little kids because it always seemed that they could read the other's mind.

Landon glared and went over to get the ball. "You two are going down."

"Really?" Gabriella asked, feigning innocence. "But, I mean, I'm your little sister." She widened her eyes and plastered a pout on her face.

"Bella, I didn't mean-" Landon started.

"Wait!" Zeke commanded.

Daisy whimpered and galloped over to Gabriella's feet. The Latina girl ruffled Daisy's black and tan fur and looked down worriedly. "What's up, Baby?"

Zeke, Landon and Carl looked around simultaneously before they all huddled around her, hiding her from the surroundings. "Stay still." Carl hissed to her.

"What's happening?" She whispered.

"Stay still." He reinforced. "I'm sorry."

Before Gabriella knew what was happening, she heard a loud 'Here's school spirit!' before red and white paint was being thrown over the four teenagers. She screamed and began crying into Carl's chest. He pulled her closer to him in a protective manner and she flinched when she heard Daisy bark. She knew instantly that it was the Wildcats and if she hadn't have been with them, they would already be fighting.

Eventually, laughter broke through the yells from the Wildcats and the falling paint subsided. Landon and Zeke pulled back, their backs covered in red and white, but Carl refused to let his twin go. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.

Gabriella looked down to see Daisy standing on guard by her feet and growling fiercely at the intruders. She knew that one command from her brothers would make her charge and attack them. She hid her face in Carl's chest again and whimpered. "It wasn't your fault."

"Are you sick, Bolton?" Landon asked, anger coursing through his veins.

The name caused Gabriella to slowly step away from Carl and step through the barrier which Landon and Zeke had formed. Paint was matted in her hair and she could already feel paint drying on her exposed legs. She eyed the group wearily. It was the usual ones which Carl talked about: Chad Danforth, Jason Cross and…Troy Bolton. Her eyes moved over his body before she turned back to Zeke. "You heard them coming?"

He shrugged, his glare still locked on the Wildcats who were stood a few feet away. "This is where we usually fight. It was a guess as much as anything. But, I saw a white paint can by the bush over there." He gestured with his head towards some bushes but his gaze was still locked on the enemies.

Gabriella turned back to the Wildcats and sighed. "I knew this was a bad idea." She whispered. She locked her gaze onto Troy's and eventually he had to look away in shame. She turned to Carl and reached for his hand. "Carl, can you please take me home? I don't feel very well." She mumbled.

Carl pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and his forehead creased with worry. "You're kind of warm. I think Mom should check you out."

Gabriella nodded. "Thank you."

"Wait!" A voice exclaimed and they all turned to see Chad had his hands held up. "That's your sister?"

Gabriella nodded confidently. "I am. I'm Gabriella Montez. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you but I was brought up to not lie."

Landon and Zeke laughed and grinned at each other. "That's my little sister!" Landon ruffled her paint-streaked hair.

She cracked a small smile and then looked to the floor. "I don't want you guys to fight, okay?"

The Wildcats suddenly burst out laughing. "Your little sister won't let you fight?" Jason teased.

Landon was about to lunge forward but Zeke held him back. "Let it go. Think of Gabs." He hissed.

Landon nodded reluctantly and Zeke released his hold. "You guys are so dead. I don't care about me or Carl or Zeke, okay? But, you pulled your sick prank on Bella! You bastards."

Gabriella placed a hand on his arm. "Landon, please don't hurt them. I don't care."

"I do." He exclaimed. "It's one thing pranking us…but you?"

She shrugged and looked over her shoulders at Troy. She returned her gaze back to Landon and sighed. "They're not even worth it. In the championships, in a month, you'll win, okay? You'll have that trophy. Doesn't that count for something?"

Landon suddenly grinned. "Where are you hiding my little sister?"

She giggled and hugged him. "I'm going to go home. Stay safe, okay?"

Landon rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. "Okay. Love you."

She smiled and stepped towards Carl who wrapped a supporting arm around her shoulders. "Love you, too." She attached the leash to Daisy's collar and Carl began leading the two of them out of the court.

Troy stepped forward. "Gabriella-"

"I don't want to hear it." She muttered. "Stop fighting with my brothers. I know, sometimes they deserve it. But, I don't want them to be hurt anymore. All this time, I was basing my opinion on you through my brothers and my father. I guess they were right. Come on, Carl, I really don't feel very well."

After a five minute walk through the park which was filled with a deep silence, they emerged onto the sidewalk. Carl's arm never left her shoulder for he was worried about how pale she looked. "You okay, Bells?"

She nodded, looking at the ground. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"What was that with Bolton back there?" He enquired.

"You know how I like to give people the benefit of the doubt?" She asked, looking up at him.

He nodded. "Sure."

"I guess I should've listened to you." She whispered. "He was worse than I thought he would be. As bad as the Wildcats are, I didn't think they'd pull a prank while I was there."

Carl kissed her forehead. "Me neither. That was just low. You're lucky I didn't rip their heads off one by one."

"At least I still have one handsome guy who'll protect me." She whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"Nah. You've got six. Like we'd let those brainless wankers hurt you." He said softly.

She giggled under her breath but it trailed off. "Zeke and Landon will be fighting, won't they?"

Carl nodded reluctantly. "Most likely."

She shrugged. "Oh, well."

"Bella, can I ask you something?" He whispered.

She nodded. "You can ask me anything."

"You don't want to go to U of A next year, do you?" He asked softly.

Gabriella halted and turned to him. "What?" She wasn't too worried that it was Carl who had figured something out. As they were twins, they had always been closer to each other than any of their other brothers. But, she was still scared of his reaction.

He rolled his eyes. "Remember when the Dean was around at our house? Your smile was so fake. Don't worry, no one else would've noticed. They were too busy making sure we both got in on scholarships."

Gabriella shrugged as they began walking again. "I wanted to be a Redhawk, I swear. But, that was when I was a little girl. You know, Dad kept talking about how good U of A was and I listened."

"But?"

She sighed and looked intently at the ground. "Promise you won't tell Dad?"

"I promise." He said sincerely.

She sighed and looked up at him. "I'm going to Stanford."

"Going to? You're already in?" He exclaimed.

She nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully, I'll be there straight after finals and the championships."

"Why? Aren't you graduating?" He exclaimed.

She shrugged. "They're considering me for their freshman's honours programme which lasts for three weeks. My theory was that I just need to get out. This whole feud thing is suffocating me because no matter where I go, someone asks me about the latest Wildcat and Knight fight. Are you mad?"

"Are you kidding?" He asked, coming to a halt again. "My baby sister got into Stanford. That's amazing. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you Carl." She whispered as they hugged.

"What are you majoring in?" He asked as they set off again.

"Ummm…medicine." She spoke in a small voice.

"Since when have you wanted to be a doctor?" He asked.

"Since I was six. Remember when I broke my arm? On that day, I told Mom that I wanted to be just like her." She whispered.

Carl squeezed her shoulders. "You'll do great, Bells. I just know it."

"I'm glad you're not mad at me." She confessed.

"I could never be mad at you." He said softly. "I bet Dad won't be mad."

"Are you kidding? Dad sees 'Montez' on a birth certificate and assumes that it's another son that will be basketball captain and go to U of A like him!" She exclaimed. "But, I'm not another son and I'm not a little kid anymore. I know what I want and I want to be a doctor like Mom."

"I know." Carl whispered as they entered the house. "Mom?" He called.

"Yes, honey." Maria entered the kitchen and her eyes widened. "What happened?"

"Wildcats." Carl said simply. "Bolton and his cohorts decided that we looked better in red and white."

"Bolton did this?" She exclaimed, inspecting her youngest son and daughter.

Gabriella nodded weakly. "Yeah. Luckily Carl, Landon and Zeke kind of knew it was coming and tried to protect me."

"Oh, mi hijo." Maria kissed Carl's forehead. "Well done, sweetie."

Carl shrugged. "I can't let anyone hurt my baby sister. But, Mom, I want you to check Bella out. She was complaining that she didn't feel very well and she had a slight temperature."

Maria held her hand to Gabriella's forehead and sighed. "Mi hija, come on upstairs. I'm going to look you over. Carl, go for a shower. Just leave your clothes outside your room. Don't put it in the washer, okay?"

Carl nodded. "Okay, Mom. I hope you feel better soon, Bells." He kissed her forehead before he headed up the stairs.

Maria turned to Gabriella. "Go on up to your room, mi hija and just sit on your bed, okay?"

Gabriella nodded mutely. "Okay." She muttered. She turned around and slowly padded up the stairs. Once in her bedroom, she slipped her sneakers off and let Daisy off of her leash. The dog jumped onto the bed and lay down dutifully by Gabriella. She cracked a tiny smile and then wandered over to her balcony. She secured the lock and closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks. He knew how much her brothers meant to her. How could he? While she was with them? Her brothers hadn't been in a Wildcat fight since she'd met Troy – she had a sneaking suspicion that he had something to do with it – but why start again now?

"Mi hija?" Maria spoke softly.

Gabriella turned around and padded over to sit next to Daisy on the bed. "Mommy…" She whimpered.

Maria knelt down and set the bowl of warm soapy water next to her. "Tell me what happened." She whispered as she dipped a small flannel into the bowl and began running it over Gabriella's legs, rubbing the dried paint off.

Gabriella ran through the story again, tears running down her cheeks and Daisy had moved her head protectively to her lap. "…but he was one of them. I just didn't expect him to blow me off to pull a prank on my brothers."

"I know, mi hija." She cleaned off the last part of her daughter's legs and dried her hands on a towel she had brought up with her. She sat next to her daughter and hugged her. "It'll work out. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"Maybe…" Gabriella muttered. "I can't believe I was so naïve that I thought that he was the one. The worst part is that I actually believed him when he said that I was beautiful and special and the best thing that ever happened to him."

"Do you still love him?" Maria whispered.

Gabriella burst into tears again and nodded. "Yeah. I do."

Maria kissed her daughter's forehead. "Shower up, okay? Have a nice long shower or bath and have nap. I think it'll do you good."

Gabriella nodded reluctantly. "Okay." She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and turned it off.

Maria picked up the bowl and towel and left Gabriella's room, heading downstairs. She dropped the towel onto the floor and smiled sadly when she saw Carl, Landon and Zeke sitting around the island. Landon and Zeke had a couple of minor cuts and the start of a few bruises but it was obvious they hadn't stayed long. Carl was clean and showered and they all waited impatiently for Maria to speak.

She set the bowl on the counter and sighed. "Don't worry, guys. It's just a small virus. She'll be fine by tomorrow, probably. Landon, Zeke, what did you do?"

They both shrugged. "Taught Bolton a lesson. He never messes with my sister." Landon exclaimed.

Maria poured the cooling water down the sink and turned back to her sons and Zeke. "Go and get cleaned off, the pair of you. Leave your clothes outside your room." Landon and Zeke wandered up the stairs and she turned to Carl. "She'll be fine. I promise."

Carl nodded. "Okay, Mom. I know she's going to Stanford." He finally whispered.

Maria lifted her head. "What?"

Carl shrugged. "I knew she didn't want to go to U of A but she told me she's going to Stanford."

Maria smiled slightly. "What do you think of it?"

"I'm proud of her. Immensely. I mean, she's always been one to break traditions, isn't she?" He joked.

Maria laughed. "I guess so."


	14. A Wildcat Dance

**A/N: OMG!!! Long time no update, right? Sorry. Both HSMandChelseaFCfan and I have been completely loaded with school. This will be my last update until Thursday. Thursday is my French speaking exam and at the minute my mind is in French overdrive :(**

**Don't own HSM x

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Chapter 13 – A Wildcat Dance

Something was seriously wrong and Sharpay Evans always knew when something was wrong. For example, her brother Ryan had always been quiet but when he'd walked into the kitchen one morning when they were five, he didn't have to speak and Sharpay knew something was wrong – turned out his goldfish had died. Another time, Sharpay had been in school and noticed Gabriella hadn't been taking notes like she always did and it was then she'd found out her best friend had been scared because she'd started her periods and her brothers were making her life hell. And the one thing Sharpay always knew with Gabriella was when she'd had a fight with one of them or the Wildcats subject had been brought up. But today for the first time, Sharpay Evans had no idea what was up with her best friend. All week she'd been avoiding people, avoiding her, her friends, heck even her brothers which was rare because it wasn't exactly easy to avoid them. And today something must have really upset her because for the first time in her life, Gabriella was missing school and hadn't text Sharpay to pre-warn her. It was then Sharpay Evans decided to hell with school and she was going to get to the root of her best friend's problems, even if it took her all bloody day cramped up in the house.

***

Gabriella knew everyone had gone before she finally emerged from her dark bedroom. Her Mom had let her stay home today because she wasn't feeling well but Gabriella knew it was nothing to do with her health but to do with the broken heart inside of her. It had been four days since the whole incident and she just found herself thinking more and more about Troy as each day passed. He had tried texting her, calling her, emailing her, everything but every time she would just delete the messages. He'd fucked up and she wasn't about to let him back into her life when she'd already risked so much of hers for him. Hearing the doorbell ring, Gabriella ignored it not wanting to face anyone. The constant ringing finally made Gabriella snap as she pulled the front door open to find a familiar blonde on her doorstep.

"Sharpay, what are you doing here?"

The blonde just pushed her to the side as she walked in waiting to hear the door close. "I'm here as your best friend, wanting to know what the heck is up with you? I mean firstly you've been distracted all week, you've managed to avoid your brothers and friends and now you've ignored me by not warning me of your impending absence from school. I thought we were friends."

Watching Sharpay fall into the single chair, Gabriella curled up on the couch at the end furthest away from her. "I was going to but I've lost my phone."

Hearing the lame excuse, Sharpay shook her head. "You know my number of by heart so don't try and squirm out of this." Turning serious, she continued. "Seriously, Gabs, what's wrong? I'm really worried about you. Have you seen what you look like? Death warmed up."

"Thanks for that, Shar. Trust me, I'm fine. Just a little under the weather. I'll be fine by next week."

Sharpay shook her head. "I don't think so. You, Gabriella Montez, tomorrow are going to come to school, I'll pick you up if you want and then you are coming up to that teen nightclub tomorrow evening, we'll go shopping if need be before heading back to mine to change with the aim of getting you hooked up as you really need to find a guy. Don't worry about your brothers because it'll only be Carl coming with us, Zeke, Ryan and Martha. Zeke told me that no Wildcats will be there if you're worried. Apparently they don't do teen nightclubs, only real nightclubs."

"I'm happy being single, thank you very much. Besides, you don't have a boyfriend so why do I need one? All guys I ever even begin to fall for always turn out to be the biggest jerks in the world!"

"Whoa, calm down. Not all guys are like your brothers. And by the way, I have Zeke thank you very much." Sharpay shot back.

Gabriella shook her head. "But you guys aren't together, together, so that doesn't count. I wasn't talking about my brothers, just guys in general."

"Well you say we're not together, together, but trust me soon enough Zeke won't know what has hit him and he'll be begging me to go out with him. He knows I would really build his popularity because with anyone dating me, who wouldn't become popular."

Rolling her mocha eyes, Gabriella smiled. "Fine, we'll go but only if you will shut up about Zeke. He's not even here and he's doing my head in."

"Well with that settled, how about you go grab 'Hairspray' and we can curl up for an afternoon with the gorgeous Link Larkin?"

"Don't you have classes you should get back for?" Gabriella asked.

"Maths or Link Larkin? I think I'll suffer Link Larkin but it'll be oh so hard missing the most wonderful Maths lesson."

Laughing, Gabriella shook her head as she disappeared upstairs with her mind for the first time in a few days off the subject of Troy Bolton and on the one other person apart from Daisy who can always cheer her up.

***

Friday night had come round and Gabriella had agreed to meet Sharpay, Ryan and Martha there while she, Carl and Zeke would come together.

"I told you that you would look hot." Gabriella smiled as she approached Sharpay and the others.

"My sister is not hot and let me make one thing clear before we go in, no hooking her up." Carl warned as Gabriella gave Sharpay a knowing look because she knew there was no chance Carl would be happy watching Gabriella with some guy. Heck even Zeke would hate it.

Sharpay just pushed Carl to the side and looped her arm through her best friends while using her other free hand to grab Zeke by the hand and pull them inside. As they entered the dark room, Gabriella made herself a promise that she was going to enjoy herself tonight and forget the jerk that was Troy Bolton.

***

She couldn't believe it, she really couldn't. Here she was, sweaty, laughing and just having fun like she planned, dancing like a regular teenager hanging with her twin and best friend and yet here he was. It was almost as if he was taunting her.

"I need some air." Gabriella half shouted to Sharpay who nodded. What the brunette didn't see as she was living the teen filled room was the pair of blue eyes on her that had been on her all night and their owner now moved towards the exit she left through seconds ago. She leaned against the wall and breathed out deeply as she closed her eyes. He was here. Why the hell was he here? Sharpay had told her that no Wildcats went there. The biggest Wildcat in the continental US was there. But, he had come there for her, for once, not to fight with her brothers.

"You okay?" A voice asked.

She rolled her eyes and turned away. "What do you fucking think?"

"Brie, please-" He whispered as he rested a hand on her waist.

She hesitated before she stepped away from him so he couldn't touch her. "Don't." She snapped.

"I'm sorry." He cried.

She swivelled around to face him and laughed with disbelief. "You're _sorry_? For what? Leaving me alone in my bed? Lying to me? Breaking promises? Going to fight my brothers if I hadn't have been there? Or all of the above?"

"Everything." Troy muttered, fiddling with his hands. Despite the terrible situation he had brought upon himself, he was finding the angry Gabriella extremely…hot. He forced himself not to get hormonal and focussed on gaining her forgiveness.

"Really?" She whispered. "So, that solves everything, right? It makes everything better. I've got an idea: I'll jump into your arms, we'll drive to Vegas and elope like you suggested."

Troy folded his arms. "It was my friends." He mumbled.

Gabriella nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Brie!" He exclaimed.

"Can you blame me? You blew me off to bloody fight my brothers!" She yelled. "I'm sorry if you think I'm at fault for being mad at you!"

"I didn't say you were at fault." Troy defended.

"Are you saying you were at fault?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. "Yes. I apologise." He let his eyes wander over her body and felt a smile tug at his lips at the sight of her in a black sequin cocktail dress. "Sharpay took you shopping."

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I haven't been well most of the week and she wanted to cheer me up."

"You've been sick?" He exclaimed.

She shrugged. "If you even care about what happened, you'll know why."

He cringed. "I'm sorry."

She sighed and stepped forward to touch his chest. "What if it isn't good enough? You do realise if the paint had gone into our eyes, we could've been blinded."

"I didn't think." Troy whispered.

She released a weak giggle and nodded. "I know you didn't. What if you don't think again in the future, Troy?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

She stepped away again and folded her arms. "I'm sorry but I can't forgive you. You know how important my brothers are. Yes, they annoy me to hell and back but I wouldn't trade them for anything. I thought you were considering that – there haven't been many Knights and Wildcats fights recently."

"Yeah I made sure me and my friends avoided the places your brothers went." He admitted softly.

"Except last week." She pointed out with her lip quivering.

"Brie, don't cry. Please." He begged, cupping her face in his warm, large hands and brushed her tears away. "I know I fucked up big time and I know that I hurt you but I hurt myself as well. I mean, I haven't heard from you in a week. And I haven't made a basket all week. My parents think I'm getting depressed again."

She sniffed and looked up into his eyes. "I don't think I can do it now. Not after that. My brothers always come first. If that means not being with you, then so be it."

Troy nodded regretfully. "Okay." He whispered. "Can I please kiss you one last time? You know, before I never see you again."

After mulling the question over in her mind, running through the pros and cons of it, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. Troy felt himself sigh against her mouth at the feel of her body against his. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist. They stumbled backward until she was pushed up against the brick wall. The kiss was different to their previous kisses. Before, they were always slow and unhurried but now, there was a passionate urgency there after no contact for a week. She giggled breathlessly as their lips parted for air before Troy swooped down and connected their lips again. One of his hands rested on the wall beside her head and the other was holding her own hand. Her free hand had snaked its way under Troy's shirt and was lightly tracing the contours of his chest.

With a furious battle between their tongues for dominance, both of them were releasing muffled moans into the other's mouth. Usually, Gabriella was still fairly unsure and shy whenever they kissed but this time – knowing that it could be the last time ever – she was showing every part of her love and passion she felt for him show.

Troy pulled back for air but then began trailing kisses down her neck. "I'm so sorry." He mumbled into her skin.

"I know." She whispered. She tugged on his hair and he lifted his head. "I just don't think I can do it. Not now."

He nodded and kissed her chastely again. "But, I can't live without you anymore."

She shrugged. "I can't risk getting hurt again. I was set on being a doctor. I didn't want a boyfriend and I didn't need one. Then you bloody came along and I need you, too. But, I don't want to need you. The only guys I ever needed were my brothers and my dad. I'm sorry, Troy. I just don't think I can do it anymore. Carl knows about Stanford." She whispered, afraid to break the spell which they had cast through the last kiss.

"Really?" He smiled slightly. "What did he say?"

"He's proud of me." She muttered.

"I'm proud of you, too." He mumbled. "Please, Brie? Don't do this."

She rolled her eyes and let go of his hand. She ducked under his arm and faced away from him. "I told you: sorry just isn't good enough."

"I can make it up to you." He tried.

She slowly turned to him. "How?"

"I'll think of something." He exclaimed.

She shook her head. "Just forget about me. You obviously managed that last week." She started to walk back towards the club but Troy grabbed her arm. "Let me go."

"No!"

She looked up fearfully at him and then began digging in the small black purse which was hanging from her right wrist. She brought out her cell phone and pressed speed dial for Carl. "Please?" She asked, tugging on her arm again.

"Bella? What's up? Where are you?" He asked.

She released a sob as the realisation of how she wouldn't be with Troy anymore sank in. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she heard Carl ask Sharpay where she was. She hung up her phone and finally managed to break from his grasp just as the doors opened and Carl rushed to her. "Carl!" She cried in relief.

He furrowed his brow as she hugged him and then he glared at Troy. "What's wrong, Bells?"

"Make him go away." She muttered into his chest.

Carl looked over at Troy. "Leave her alone."

"I was just apologising for last week." He exclaimed.

Gabriella stepped towards Troy and slapped him across the cheek. "Shut. Up. I told you I don't want to hear it. Why are you apologising to me when you've never once said sorry to my brothers?"

"They've never said sorry to me or my friends." He exclaimed.

"Yeah and they were wrong. But did you never think to be the bigger guy and stand up and apologise first?" She yelled. "I never want to see you again."

"Gabriella!" He exclaimed. "Why can't you just accept my apology?"

"Why should I?" She whispered. "So that you can prove to your buddies that I'm a pushover? No thanks."

The doors opened again and Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and Martha stepped out. Sharpay rushed over to Gabriella and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You okay, Gabs?"

She smiled weakly at Sharpay and nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm just going to call my mom and ask her to pick me up. I'm kind of tired."

Troy sighed. "What more do you want from me?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. But I know I want you to stay away from me and my friends and my family."

"Come on, Gabs, I'm going to sleep over at your house tonight." Sharpay suggested as she began leading Gabriella over to a wooden bench. They both sat down and Sharpay took Gabriella's phone out of her hand and scrolled through the contacts. She called Maria and explained that Gabriella wanted to go home and Maria said she would be there shortly. "Gabs, come on."

Gabriella stared at the concrete under her feet and shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"What's so bad that you can't tell me?" Sharpay pleaded.

"I hate him." She hissed, gripping the wood that she was sitting on. "I bloody hate him and I can't wait to go to Silicon Valley and be a doctor." She lifted her head and cracked a small smile. "I'm going to join a convent." She decided.

"Why? Because Bolton poured paint over you? Gabs, you wouldn't overreact like this." Sharpay pointed out.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Shar, you would've said something like that if you'd have been caught up in it."

"That's the difference between you and me. Besides, if Bolton and the Wildcats had caught me with paint, would they be living this second?" She raised her eyebrows before both of the girls burst out laughing.

Gabriella laughter trailed off and sighed. "It just knocked me a bit. The whole thing. I mean, the bloody Wildcats throw paint on me and Carl finds out about Stanford…I guess it was too much. I've never been that involved with Wildcats like that and it knocked my confidence. Then Bolton shows up and tries to _apologise_. Ha! Like he meant it." She hissed bitterly.

Sharpay smiled sympathetically. "I bet Carl and Zeke are sorting him out right now."

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah…"

A car pulled to a stop in front of them and Maria got out of the car. She sat on the other side of Gabriella and wrapped her arms around her. "What's up, mi hija?"

"Troy was there." Gabriella whispered.

"What happened?"

"He tried to apologise." She admitted.

"And…" Maria prodded.

"I can't forgive. He's fought with my brothers too many times. I come into the picture and he'll apologise to me the first chance he gets. But, what about Carl and Landon and Zeke? He's never once apologised to them." Her voice cracked on the last word and a tear leaked from the corner of her eyes. She swiped it away just as her phone started ringing, signalling a text. She mentally rolled her eyes and slid her phone up, angling her phone so that Sharpay couldn't see.

**Your twin just kicked me in the balls. Just know that I can't forget about you.**

She slid her phone back down and took a concentrated look on her face as the words sank in. Everything he had ever told her was a lie. He'd wanted opportunities to fight her brothers. He made her feel special and like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. One day, years from now, he'd probably tell his friends how he had manipulated Gabriella Montez's innocence and naivety to get more chances to fight her brothers. She really was clueless when it came to guys.

"Mom, can you take us home please? I want to talk to Sharpay." She said, getting to her feet.

Maria caught the look in her daughter's eyes and nodded with understanding. "Okay, mi hija. Sharpay, do you want me to drive to your place to get some clothes?"

Sharpay shook her head. "I'll borrow some of Gabby's."

After they had all returned home, Gabriella had told Greg that the pounding music had given her a headache and that she wanted Sharpay to sleep over. She had kissed Greg and Landon goodnight and began leading Sharpay to her room. Once inside, she locked the door and smiled as Daisy trotted over to greet her. "Hey, Daisy. I know, I know. I love you, too."

Sharpay fussed the German shepherd's fur and flopped down onto Gabriella's bed. "Oh, God. I'm going to wake up to Zeke!"

Gabriella set her purse on her dresser and glared at the blonde through the mirror. "Shar…"

"Yeah…" She sighed blissfully.

"You mention his name one more time and I'm going to rip up his birth certificate." She threatened as she pulled out a tank top and shorts pyjamas from one of the drawers. She turned around and threw them to Sharpay. "You, my friend, belong in those sappy movies that I always cry at."

Sharpay shattered and giggled. "Yeah, I know."

Sharpay emerged from Gabriella's bathroom, changed, with her teeth brushed and her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She found Gabriella changed into her own pyjamas but stood by her open closet, looking puzzled. Daisy was sat faithfully at her feet and seemed to be having a silent conversation with her owner. Sharpay set her clothes on the floor by the bathroom and padded over to her friend, resting a hand on her shoulder which made her jump. "You okay?"

Gabriella shook her head, her eyes locked on a familiar denim jacket. "No." She whimpered.

Sharpay looked on worriedly as tears rolled down her tanned cheeks. "What's wrong?"

"You're going to hate me." She mumbled.

"I could never hate you!" She exclaimed.

Gabriella twisted her head to look at her friend. "But, you will! We promised to tell each other everything and I broke it. I'm sorry, but I…" She broke off with a sob.

Sharpay hugged her tightly and felt Gabriella cry into her shoulder. "Shhhh…" She pulled back and reached over to Gabriella's desk for a tissue. "Now, I'm not mad. I'm worried. What is so bad that you can't tell me?"

"I have to tell you. I can't keep it in anymore." She whispered. She reached into her closet and brought out Troy's denim jacket. She lead Sharpay over to her bed and sat on the edge, Daisy lying at their feet. "What does this smell like?"

Sharpay held it cautiously to her nose and inhaled deeply. "It smells like…Lynx cologne and…dog? I think…"

Gabriella shook her head. "You're missing something." She took the jacket back and felt her heart break at the memories it held. It was the reason she met Troy. She wouldn't have it if she hadn't have nearly drowned. Her mind whirled back to the day she confessed to Maria she was in love with him. She could easily say she'd rather have simply died that day in the park than have to go through the heartache she was experiencing. But, that would mean she'd have missed all of the pleasure and the few good times they'd experienced together.

_I'd take on a lifetime of hell for one more moment with him…_

And now it was happening. Her own private hell.

She turned to Sharpay and sighed. "These past few weeks, I've been seeing someone…"

"Really?" Sharpay asked in shock. "Who? Does he go to our school?"

Gabriella laughed at the irony. "Hell no. Remember when I nearly drowned?"

"Sure."

"About a week after that, I agreed to go out with this guy…" She whispered.

"Wait, the guy who saved you?" She enquired.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah."

"That explains why you were happy!" She exclaimed with realisation.

Gabriella giggled and nodded. "Yeah, it was. But, he hurt me, Shar. He hurt me so much. That's why I've been kind of 'death warmed up' this past week."

Sharpay wrapped her arms around her friend and rubbed her back. "Oh, honey, maybe it just wasn't meant to be…"

Gabriella pulled back and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Was this his jacket?"

The brunette nodded and ran her fingers lightly over the material. "I started wearing it while I slept. I haven't looked at it in the past week." She turned to Sharpay and took a deep breath. "He was the first guy I truly trusted. I told him everything…about how my brothers are everything to me, Stanford, how I wanted to please my dad… And he's the first guy I let things go that little bit further with." She felt her cheeks turn rosy and she turned away.

"Gabs, have you…did you have _sex_ with him?" She exclaimed in surprise.

Gabriella frowned as she turned back to her. "No. But, his shirt did come off once. You know what the funny thing is? I actually wish I had. Just so I'd know what it'd feel like. To give him something I can't give to anyone else…even if he did break my heart…" She began crying again and hunched over, crying into her hands.

"Shhhh…" Sharpay soothed. "It's okay. You'll meet a better guy. You don't need him."

"I do." She croaked. "I need him so bad." She looked across at Sharpay and sighed. "I do need him. I need him like the air I'm breathing right now. Ever since he saved me, I haven't stopped thinking about him…I'm in love with him!" She cried. Daisy sat up and rested her head in Gabriella's lap.

"Well…who was it?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella pulled the denim jacket on and allowed the familiar scent to sooth her. She had given it back to Troy a couple of times so that the scent was more prominent and he had given it back to her. However, his glorious scent was once again fading. She connected her eyes with Sharpay's and her lip trembled. "Shar, I'm in love with Troy Bolton."


	15. Three Little Words

**A/N: Well, tell us what you think. HSMandChelseaFCfan and I are both kind of busy so I'm not sure when the next update will be.**

**Don't own HSM

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**Chapter 14 – **

Sharpay sat in a stunned silence for a few minutes, making Gabriella grow even more nervous at having let her best friend in on one of her biggest secrets. Gabriella had never known Sharpay stay so quiet for so long after being told big news of any kind.

"Let me get this straight. You and Troy? A Wildcat and a Knight? A Bolton and a Montez?" She finally asked dubiously.

Gabriella just nodded before replaying everything that had happened with Troy to Sharpay. "And after he kissed me, I just felt more confused than before which is why I needed to tell someone."

"Gabs, seriously? Bolton? The one who hurt you and gets into fights with your brothers?" She asked in disbelief.

"Shar, my brothers bring it on themselves. Trust me, he's different. He's not the same Troy you see when we're together. Shar, I honestly thought he was the one. I think I still do." Gabriella looked down at her lap nervously, fiddling with her fingers.

"You are telling me if he walked through the door at this second and proclaimed his love for you, you wouldn't kick him straight out on his ass?"

Gabriella could feel her frustration growing. "Sharpay, you of all people should know you can't help who you fall for, no matter how hard you try not to."

"Yes but he's not my enemy and I know my family wouldn't hate me for it. Would you seriously lose your friends and family for a Bolton?"

"Yes!" Both Gabriella and Sharpay seemed shocked at Gabriella's reply.

Sharpay closed her eyes and breathed deeply before turning back to her best friend. "Are you serious?"

"If it was the only way and they forced me to choose I would. Shar, I've seriously never felt so strongly for anyone and while I can't forgive and forget what he's done to my brothers, I can't stop loving him. Please, Sharpay, I could really do with my best friend's support because it's not like I can get advice on what to wear, if I forgive him, on dates."

"Hmm... I guess I could since I wouldn't want to ruin my reputation if my best friend is seen out wearing hideous clothes while on the arm of a gorgeous guy."

Gabriella smirked. "He's gorgeous now?"

Sharpay just shrugged. "He always has been even if he's our enemy. It doesn't stop him being sexy and thinking about what's under those clothes."

"Sharpay!" The two girls burst out laughing; knowing nothing had nor would change.

***

Troy lay on his bed, tossing his soft basketball pillow up into the air. Blitzen was sleeping in the corner and kept whimpering every so often. Ever since he'd confronted Gabriella and shared that kiss, he couldn't help but feel alone. His parents were out of town so he couldn't talk to his mom and it wasn't exactly as if he could talk to any of his friends; they'd have a field day if they found out he'd been dating a Montez. Troy sat up and grabbed his cell phone and called the one person he could talk to and he knew wouldn't judge him.

-

-

The doorbell rang and Troy opened the door and smiled at the brunette. "Hey, thanks for coming."

Kelsi returned the smile as she stepped in and gave him a brief hug, knowing he looked like he could use it. "It's no problem. Honestly. I'm just worried about what could possibly be cutting you up so much."

"How about we head to the kitchen to get some drinks?"

"Lead the way, Mr Bolton."

Upon entering the kitchen, Troy couldn't have felt more grateful for having such an amazing friend. "You want anything to eat? We've got all sorts in since mom decided to stock the house up just in case I fancied something because she doesn't want me going hungry apparently."

The two laughed. "I'm good thanks." As the two headed for the living room, Troy couldn't help but feel nervous even though he knew the girl in front of him would never say anything if he asked.

"Kels, what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone else. Promise me, please. You're the only one who might be able to understand." Kelsi Neilson over time had become like a sister to Troy and knew his every secret practically and would always be honest with him even if the truth would hurt; something Troy respected her for.

"Troy, you know me. I swear no one will find out, not even Tay." Kelsi grabbed his hands in her own and gave them a squeeze to let him know that she was there for him.

Taking a deep breath, Troy closed his eyes. "Kelsi, I'm in love with Gabriella Montez."

The pure shock on Kelsi's face gave Troy all the answers he needed, knowing if that was Kelsi's instant reaction then the thought of anyone else's reaction terrified him. "Are you sure?"

"Kels, I've never been so sure about anything. We were only together for a short while but when we were together, everything felt perfect. And when we weren't, she was and still is the only thing on my mind."

As Kelsi stayed silent, Troy filled her in on everything from the fatal day they met to what had happened just a few hours previous. "And now I don't know what to do."

"Wow." Troy watched silently as Kelsi processed everything. "I can see why you don't want any of the others to know."

"Aren't you mad though that I'm in love with a Montez, a Knight?"

"Should I be? Troy, I can't change who your heart has chosen to love. Plus, if she is anything like you say, then I know she'll be good for you. The main thing is you're happy because that's all I want for you and if being with a Knight and Montez does that then so be it."

Troy pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for understanding. You don't know how much of a relief it is to be able to talk to someone about this."

"Do your parents know?"

"Mom does but do you really think I'd still be alive if my dad did?"

"Good point. Well from what you've told me, there is only one thing you can do, fight for your girl." Kelsi told him as if it was the most obvious thing.

Troy frowned. "Have you not heard what I've just said? My dad would kill me."

"Yeah but is Gabriella worth the trouble of going against everything you've ever been taught not to do?"

"More than anything. I'd give up my life to be with her, Kelsi."

The petite girl smiled. "Well I think you got your answer. I know you, Troy Bolton, and because you're Troy Bolton you'll find a way of getting her. Just don't stuff up because you already did that and do it once more and she'll be gone for good. We girls like security and commitment and if we don't think he can give us that then I'm afraid he's gone."

"I think I got an idea." Kelsi smirked knowing the guy she thought of as her brother was well and truly in love with Gabriella Montez.

* * *

Gabriella stared at her ceiling. She'd been awake for two hours. It was now eight thirty and Sharpay was still sleeping, her pink eye mask still in place. They'd spent about two hours talking before Gabriella had been so exhausted with the relief that followed telling Sharpay everything that she just fell asleep. And then she woke up at six thirty and found it impossible to sleep. She tried every position, she read with the light of the bedside lamp, she listened to her iPod and there she was, her eyes glued to her poster of Rascal Flatts pinned to her ceiling.

She would choose Troy over her family. That's what she had told Sharpay and she honestly believed it. She had spent her whole life with Maria, Greg, Carl, Landon, Eddie, Cody and Danny. She'd lived her whole life with Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan and Martha. They'd always been there. But, they'd also always told her how she should hate Wildcats. She should hate Boltons'. But, she had her own mind and she could make her own judgement. She had never wanted to hate them, she didn't want to hate someone without meeting them.

She could have her entire future with Troy if she was worth it and he made it up to her like he said he would. When she had been with him she felt like a goddess because every time he touched her, he was so gentle and almost kissed the ground she walked on. She, on the other hand, simply couldn't believe he god damn well existed. He was smart, he was funny, he was sweet, he knew what he wanted, he was stubborn – something she had never found attractive until Troy, he was the most handsome guy she'd ever seen…and he was bloody perfect.

She heard rustling outside her bedroom door and she got to her feet and padded over to her door. She glanced at Sharpay and then flicked the lock, pulling the door open. "Carl? Zeke? What's up?" She whispered.

"Is Pay okay?" Zeke asked.

Carl hit him over the head. "Shut up about her for one second. Bells, you okay? How are you feeling?"

She shrugged, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine. Shar and I talked for a long time last night and she's pretty tired."

"I asked about you, though." He pointed out.

"I'm fine." She mumbled. She stepped out into the hallway and softly shut the door behind her. "It just…knocked me for six for a better way to put. I'd never been involved with Wildcats like that and it scared me. I didn't know what to think. I mean, all these years of me believing that everyone deserved the benefit of the doubt were for nothing." She sighed. "I'm glad you guys were there, though." She cracked a smile and kissed both of their cheeks.

"We'll always protect you," Carl promised, "as long as you don't wear that in public." He said, gesturing to her pyjamas.

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "They're pyjamas!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to waltz down the street in them, am I?"

Carl shrugged. "I don't care. You just can't wear them outside."

"I promise I won't." She said sincerely.

"Um, Gabs? Do you want to go for some ice cream today? We didn't know how you were feeling and we wondered whether you'd like some ice cream?" Zeke asked.

Gabriella thought it over. "I think I'm going to spend the day with Daisy today. I haven't spent much time with her all week. Maybe you should take Shar."

"Eew!" Carl exclaimed. "No thank you."

"I was talking to Zeke!" She exclaimed.

Zeke frowned. "Um…why?"

Carl hit his arm. "Don't act so innocent. Just ask her out!"

"Am I that obvious?" Zeke asked quietly in bewilderment.

"Yeah!" Carl and Gabriella said simultaneously.

Gabriella giggled. "I'm going to go back in here." She said softly. "Thanks for the offer, guys. I feel much better, though."

* * *

Gabriella had decided to take Daisy to the park and both of them were enjoying themselves. Even though she was still feeling hurt, Gabriella felt like one giant weight had been lifted because her best friend knew that her heart belonged to Troy Bolton. It felt like she wasn't alone anymore. Like she could talk to someone.

She flung the tennis ball into the wide open space and giggled as Daisy sprinted after it. "Good girl, Daisy." Her smile suddenly faded when Daisy picked the ball up and ran off in the wrong direction. Thanking the heavens she had worn flats, she took off after the German shepherd. Although she struggled to keep up, Daisy was always in her line of vision which was good enough for her.

She slowed down when Daisy darted through familiar trees and her face paled. She took a deep breath and followed the path Daisy had taken a few moments before. She smiled slightly at the sight which greeted her. Troy, who was sat on the floor, was being licked by an excited Daisy and Blitzen was sat off to the side, patiently waiting for Daisy's affection.

"She apparently missed you more than Blitzen." She finally volunteered as she made her way towards her.

Troy managed to push Daisy away and turned to her. "Gabriella?" He asked in disbelief.

She nodded hesitantly as she sat down next to him. "Yeah. Daisy ran away. She's never done that before."

Troy tried to look at Blitzen and Daisy but couldn't look away from Gabriella. "Maybe they should elope." He said softly.

She cracked a small smile. "Maybe…"

"I didn't know you were going to be there." He whispered.

"At the court or at the club?" She asked, looking at her lap.

"The court. I needed to see you and I heard that a load of Wildcats were going to be at the club." He admitted.

She was silent for a moment. "What do you want from me?"

"I know I don't deserve it and you probably shouldn't even give me the time of day, but I want a second chance from you." He mumbled.

She nodded and lifted her head. "I know. And I wish I could forgive you. But," She paused to shrug, "I don't think I can." She kissed his cheek briefly and stood up. "Daisy!"

Troy scrambled to his feet and gasped. "You're not leaving, are you?"

She turned to him. "What's keeping me here?"

"Blitzen." Troy tried. "I'm not sure I'm a valid or accepted reason anymore."

Daisy finally – after many licks between the two dogs – sat at Gabriella's feet and allowed her owner to attach her leash to her collar. She twisted her head and whined to Blitzen.

Gabriella sighed. "That's the thing. I wish you were." Her eyes turned glossy with tears and she turned away.

"Wait, you can't leave!" Troy exclaimed.

Gabriella turned back to him, a look of impatience on her face. "Why?"

"Because I'm damn well in love with you. I can't stop thinking about you since I saved you. I don't care if you never see me again. I don't blame you. But, I want you to know that I'm telling you the truth. If you don't believe anything else I say, believe me when I say I love you. I do." He exclaimed.

Gabriella dropped Daisy' leash and her breathing became ragged. "What?"

Troy stepped closer and cupped her face in his hands. "I love you."

"You do?" She asked weakly.

He nodded. "Yeah." He reached into his jeans pocket and produced and square velvet jewellery box. "I got this for you."

Gabriella took it from him tentatively and opened it, a gasp escaping her lips. There lay a small heart pendent with a flower decorating it, made out of Turquoises – her birthstone. "Troy…" She lifted her head and smiled brightly. "It's gorgeous. It must've cost a fortune."

He shrugged. "I don't mind. Besides, you might want to turn it over."

She frowned curiously and did as she was told. "It has your number on it. Fourteen."

He nodded. "I don't know if you'll wear it but, I wanted something that showed the world you were taken. Of course, it couldn't be obvious so it was kind of hard but I found that and got my number engraved on the back." He explained.

She smiled and stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Of course I'll wear it." She whispered, looking into his eyes.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and smiled down at her. "You will?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Do you know why?"

He creased his brow. "Actually, no. I'm clueless."

She giggled and kissed him chastely. "I'll wear it because I'm in love with you, too." She whispered.

Troy grinned and picked her up, twirling her around. "That's my girl." He set her down and took the jewellery box from her. He stepped behind her and draped the necklace around her neck. His lips caressed the skin of her shoulders as he secured the clasp and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I love you so much." He mumbled.

She giggled and turned in his arms. "I love you, too. I have done since you saved me." She blushed and released a giggle.

"Well, it took my parents to convince me that I've been in love with you since I met you, too." He confessed.

"They know about me?" She asked in confusion.

"Well, my mom does but my dad doesn't, obviously. It was a really embarrassing and humiliating conversation. My dad guessed I liked a girl, and basically told me I'm in love with you." He whispered.

"Kiss me." She mouthed, her voice box obviously not working. She smiled as their lips met.

Troy pulled back and chuckled breathlessly. "I'm never letting you go again."

She nodded. "Good. Does that mean I'm stuck with you?"

Troy leaned down and kissed her necklace. He trailed kisses up to her neck and then pulled back to look into her eyes. "Forever and ever," He exclaimed, "because guess what?"

"What?" She asked excitedly.

"I got accepted to Berkeley. That's, like, less than an hour away from Stanford!" He exclaimed happily. "We can finally be together. No sneaking around. I don't know about you and Daisy but Blitzen's coming with me and…Brie, we can be together."

She giggled and nodded. "That's amazing, Wildcat!"


	16. Alone

**A/N: HSMandChelseaFCfan is getting better. YAY!!! Hehe. But, my exams have started so :( Btw, I'm hosting my first contest on youtube!!! Check it out at doodlebug414**

**Don't own HSM

* * *

**

Chapter 15 - Alone

Ever since finding out the truth, Sharpay had been bugging Gabriella to meet Troy. She wanted to quiz him on his intentions with her best friend and if he was a decent guy.

"Ugh." Gabriella threw her phone down in frustration after Sharpay's last text asking her if she'd spoken to Troy or if she was with him at that moment. She'd given up replying because no matter whether she replied or not, Sharpay was still annoying her.

"What's up with you?" Gabriella jumped, as did Daisy at the smooth voice that flowed through the room.

Shaking her head, the brunette smiled as Daisy greeted her surprise visitor. "What are you doing here, Troy?"

The tanned boy grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss her hello. "Is it a crime for a guy to miss his girlfriend and want to see her after a hard day at school? A guy who still needs to make it up to his girlfriend for screwing up big time."

"What about homework? And I thought I already made it pretty clear, I forgive you." She smirked as Troy rolled his eyes.

"I don't deserve it." Troy saw the look on her face as she placed her hands on her hips. "Well I guess I could always listen to my gorgeous girlfriend because I trust her. But, well I have ... I will...." Shaking her head at her boyfriend as he struggled to find an excuse, Troy did the only thing he could think of; he gave her the most earth shattering kiss possible.

"Don't think I'm letting you make this a regular thing. I can't have you failing on me because then it's hello single Californian men and there will be no brothers there to stop them." She teased.

"Definitely. Now where was I?" Troy picked her up as he made his way back to her bed, determined to make up for the whole twenty four hours he'd gone without her.

Running her hands across his well sculptured chest that was being unfortunately covered by his tee and shirt, Gabriella was grateful it was only her Mom in downstairs and she'd be leaving soon for work. "I love you so, so, much."

Troy returned the heartfelt words as he felt his tee and shirt leave his body and Gabriella's delicate hands run across his chest. He smiled down at her as he looked deeply into her eyes. He knew Maria would be leaving soon for work which meant they had, for the first time, a whole house to themselves. He didn't know how far things would go but he was fairly certain it wouldn't go all the way. But, he needed to make sure she knew that she was everything to him. He ducked his head down to her neck, his lips massaging her delicate skin.

"Hey, Gab-"

The two teens broke apart instantly and turned to face the female who was smirking at the two. "Shar, what the hell are you doing here?" Gabriella exclaimed in shock as she sat up in her bed.

Troy leaned down and grabbed his clothes while Gabriella straightened herself out. "Well I did come to find out why my best friend was avoiding my texts again but I think I found out what was so distracting."

"Troy, meet my best friend, Sharpay Evans. Shar, this is Troy." Troy shook the blonde's freshly manicured hand.

"I guess I can see the physical reason why my best friend is into you but what about emotionally?" Sharpay asked as she folded her arms.

Gabriella scratched her head awkwardly as she turned to Troy. "Maybe you could warn me next time so I lock the door. The next thing we know, my brothers find out and you get killed." She reached across to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "I can't let that happen."

"How are you two going to make it?" Sharpay asked as she pulled up Gabriella's vanity stool next to the bed.

Troy wrapped an arm around Gabriella's shoulders. "It's simple: Brie's off to Stanford and I'm at Berkeley next year so we're at the other end of the country to Albuquerque and it's less than an hour between us so we don't need to sneak around anymore."

Gabriella kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby. But, I have the feeling that Sharpay is going to interrogate me." He said wearily.

Sharpay crossed one leg over the other and smirked. "You saved her?"

Troy nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess that's when I truly fell for her."

The blonde nodded with acceptance. "And when did you get the guts to ask her out?"

"Shar…" Gabriella moaned. "I haven't seen him all day. Can you please go?"

Sharpay stared in disbelief. "Gabs, what has he done to you? You've never really been into guys and suddenly he comes along and you can't go one single day without him?"

Gabriella sighed and picked some loose cotton from her comforter. "Well, we're not normal teenagers, Shar." She looked from Troy to Sharpay. "We can't just go to the park and hang out. How many people know about us? Four? Besides, Troy's still making up for his screw up, even though he already has." She smiled up at him. "No matter what you say, I've forgiven you."

He stuck his tongue out. "I still feel guilty so I'm going to keep making it up to you. And, if that means bringing homework over when I visit you, so be it. But, you know how easily distracted you get when I'm around." He teased, winking at her.

"Hey, I manage my distractions just fine. You, however…" She leaned over and kissed his chastely.

Sharpay smiled softly. "I don't understand something, though."

"What now?" Gabriella exclaimed.

"What about your wedding?" Sharpay asked indignantly.

Troy's eyes widened. "Wedding? Brie, I didn't ask you to marry me, did I? I don't remember asking you."

Gabriella shook her head. "You haven't asked me to marry you. Shar, what are you talking about?"

Sharpay looked insulted. "Gabriella Anna Maria Juanita Costa-Brava Montez!"

"That's your full name?" Troy asked quietly.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah and Shar's apparently memorised it."

"Do your brothers have that many names?"

She shook her head. "No. They only have one middle name."

"Gabriella!" Sharpay exclaimed again. "My point is, you seem to have forgotten your wedding!"

"My wedding?" Gabriella asked slowly.

"You're getting married? To a guy that isn't me?" Troy exclaimed.

"I'm not getting married." Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Shar, what are you talking about?"

"_The_ wedding." She got to her feet and placed her hands on her hips.

Gabriella gasped and rushed to her feet. "Oh, my god. This past year has been so stressful, I actually forgot. As if!"

"What wedding?" Troy asked.

A dreamy smile graced Gabriella's face. "_My_ wedding. When we were seven years old we planned my wedding. You know the small church by my school? It's going to be there. I won't tell you about the dress, for obvious reasons. But, your tux is going to be black with a pale blue handkerchief and matching tie. I didn't know it at the time, but it totally matches your eyes. I want the flowers and my bouquet to be blue lilies. I hate roses. So cliché. The bridesmaids' dresses are going to be pale blue with white lace over the skirt. I want a summer wedding and then we honeymoon in Paris for three weeks." She sighed blissfully and fell back onto the bed, her head resting in Troy's neck.

"So, you haven't thought about this at all?" He asked sarcastically.

She lifted her head and glared.

"And I love it. Paris…Lilies…Good choice." He grinned and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'm sorry. It does sound wonderful."

"Exactly." Sharpay said as she sat back down on the vanity stool. "How are you going to have your dream wedding if you guys can't even go out with everyone knowing?" She sighed. "You always wanted your dad to walk you down the aisle, didn't you?"

Gabriella slouched slightly and nodded. "Yeah…Shar, remember what I said the other week?"

Sharpay smiled slightly. "I know, Gabs. And don't think I don't support you guys, I do. Just…think of the practicality. I don't want to see you hurt."

Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella. He kissed her temple. "We know, Sharpay. We know it's risky."

Gabriella nodded. "Please remember what I told you. Troy means a lot to me and if my family can't deal with it then it's their choice but I've made mine. Troy is my choice."

* * *

"What did you think of Sharpay?" Gabriella asked as she shut the front door. After fifteen minutes more of talking, Sharpay had finally gotten the hint that Troy and Gabriella wanted to be alone and she left. It was the first time for Troy to see the rest of the Montez house and he was extremely impressed. Whilst part of the walls were covered with pictures and awards of basketball towards each Montez male, there was also a great amount of awards for attendance, piano recitals and academic competitions for Gabriella.

Troy grinned and placed each of his hands beside her head on the glass of the door, caging her in. "She likes to talk."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know. But, she's my best friend."

Troy smiled and nodded. "I gathered from the way you actually ignored me."

"Hey, the only time I get to see you is after school and weekends. If I want to take advantage of that, sue me." She smiled up at him.

"Except when Sharpay is here." He muttered jokingly as he leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers. He smiled into the kiss the moment he felt her tongue lining his bottom lip and gladly opened his mouth. He pulled back breathlessly. "God, I love you. I'm never letting you go."

"Good because you can't get rid of me that easily." She giggled as she ducked under his arm and took his hand, leading him up the stairs.

"Brie, where is everybody? I mean, I know your mom's at work but what about your dad?" Troy asked as they went into Gabriella's room and she locked the door.

She let go of his hand and shrugged. "The last I heard, they had an after-school practice. They somehow found out that the Wildcats are practicing everyday after school."

He shrugged. "Maybe there's another school with a Wildcat as a mascot. My dad hasn't said anything about practicing everyday after school."

She giggled and walked over to her desk. "Knowing my brothers, they probably made it up to get my dad to practice them more so they'll definitely win." She turned to him and smiled innocently. "Good luck?"

He rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed. "Thank you, oh-so-supportive girlfriend of mine."

Gabriella sank gracefully onto her desk chair and sighed, staring at the many books stacked on her desk. "Troy, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, here." She opened her laptop and turned it on. "I want you to win. I want you to do the best you can and be the best Wildcat ever." She twisted in her chair smiled slightly. "But, Carl's my brother and Zeke is like family. The championship should be fun for me." She mumbled as she turned back to her laptop and logged into facebook.

Troy stood up and leaned against her desk, looking down on her. "Brie, I understand. At the championship, just cheer for the Knights, okay?"

"But, I want you to win, too." She muttered as she changed her status.

"And maybe I will. But, maybe Carl will win. Brie, I don't know what to say to make you feel better. I just…don't." He sighed. "God, I must be the worst boyfriend ever." He walked over to her bed and flopped down onto it.

Gabriella laughed to herself and stood up. She climbed onto Troy and rested her head on his chest. "Troy, you're the most wonderful boyfriend I've ever had." She lifted her head and smiled down at him. "Troy, you make me so happy. You've just got to understand that my brothers are important to me, too."

He nodded and stroked her cheek. "I know, I know."

"But, listen, in September, we're in college. We don't have to hide." She said brightly.

Troy wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and rolled them over so he was hovering over her instead. "I know. I can't wait."

She giggled and pushed him away as she got up. "You do know that medicine is one of the most intense degrees out there?"

He shrugged and smirked up at her. "How will you cope with having me as a boyfriend?"

She rolled her eyes and walked back over to her desk. "So, have you told your dad about Berkeley yet?"

"Have you told your dad about Stanford?" He replied with a question of his own.

She sighed and shook her head. "No." She whispered. She reached for her science text book and opened the front cover, revealing the acceptance letter from Stanford which seemed to be taunting her. She had yet to tell the rest of her family about her impending studies at the university and she also had to tell Troy that she was leaving straight after the championship game.

"Brie? You okay?" Troy asked worriedly as he sat up.

"Troy, I haven't told you everything." She mumbled. She twisted to face him as he sat up. "About Stanford, I mean."

"Okay…" He said slowly. "What's up?"

"I'm going there straight after the championship." She whispered as tears stung her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but, I…" She broke off with a sob.

Troy stared at her. "The championship? That's what? Two weeks away?"

Gabriella nodded. "I'm sorry."

"But, why? Why leave now? Aren't you graduating?" Troy asked quietly.

"I'm coming back for graduation. I'm going to Stanford for their freshmen's honour programme. I get to take a couple of classes there with twenty nine other students before September." She explained quietly.

Troy suddenly leapt to his feet and Picked Gabriella up like a bride. He held her to his body as he dropped her feet to the ground. "You are incredible, you know that?"

A confused look crossed her face. "Huh?"

He rolled his eyes and pulled her closer to his body. "Gabriella, you got into Stanford early. Oh, my god. You're amazing."

"But, I didn't tell you…" She whispered.

He shrugged. "At the minute, I'm so proud of you, I don't care. Brie, you're perfect."

She giggled in embarrassment. "I'm glad you're not mad at me."

"Well, let me think. Two weeks until the championship. So, that's when you leave. Graduation for both East and West is exactly one month after the game. So, we have two weeks together, four weeks apart-"

"Three weeks. I'm home for the week before graduation." She explained.

"Okay, three weeks, which is even better, one week before graduation, six weeks of summer and then we're in California together! So, really, we only have to be apart for three weeks. We can still call each other and I have facebook, too. Although, I think I'd better set up a fake account." He joked.

She giggled. "Thank you, Troy." She smiled up at him and leaned up onto her tiptoes. Her lips were just about to touch his when her phone started ringing. She jumped and Troy caught her in his arms to steady her. He reached over and handed her phone to her. She slid it up and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Bells, Dad's going to take us out for a burger and fries. You want to come?" Carl asked.

Gabriella heard a muffled door slam and assumed Maria had just left for work. "Actually, I'm studying tonight." She ran her finger up Troy's chest. "I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Carl asked as Troy tightened his arms around Gabriella.

Troy and Gabriella shared a smile. "Yeah. I'm positive."

"Cool. Has Mom left for work?" He asked.

Gabriella led Troy over to her bed and smiled brightly at him. "Yeah. She just left." They lay down together and Gabriella held her phone between her ear and shoulder as she tugged Troy's shirt over his head. "I'm fine, Carl. I'll do myself some dinner, I'm fine."

"You sure? You never turn down a burger." He said suspiciously.

Troy rested a hand firmly on her hip as he leaned down to lightly nuzzle is nose into her neck. Her fingers played with his hair as she lay back comfortably into her pillows. "I know. But, you know how I get with tests. These are finals, Carl. I need to study."

"You don't and you know it. You're the smartest person at West High and," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "you got into Stanford early! You're smart."

Gabriella smiled at her ceiling. She had her brother complimenting her choice to go to Stanford and her boyfriend holding her. Amazing. "But, still. If I wasn't studying, you'd think there was something wrong with me."

"True." He muttered. "We'll see you later. Bye, Bells. Love you."

"Love you, too." She replied softly as she hung up and dropped her phone onto her bedside cabinet.

Troy lifted his head and quirked a single eyebrow. "I'm classed as studying?"

She nodded certainly. "Yeah. I want to be a doctor and I'm studying the male anatomy."

He glared playfully, leaning on his forearms to prop himself up. "So I'm something to study instead of your loving boyfriend who is still incredibly sorry."

"Let me put it this way: I can either study you or study my biology book, leaving no time for physical contact tonight. And then, I'm off to California where I hear there are men with movie star looks on every corner." She sighed dreamily and held a hand dramatically to her forehead.

He frowned down at her. "I feel really unloved right now. First I'm something to study! And now you're choosing movie stars over me."

She wrapped her arms firmly around his neck and brought him down to kiss him fervently. She pulled back and smirked up at him. "What about now?"

He smirked down at her, wrapping his arms tightly around her torso. "I love you, too."

She giggled and ran her hands down his back. "Good. I'm not letting you go now. Not after everything we've been through. And, you never know, I might need rescuing."

"Stay away from lakes while you're in Cali." He ordered softly.

She giggled as he kissed her sweetly. "I promise I will. Daisy's coming with me." She whispered.

"Blitzen won't like that. Not one bit. Wow, we'll be a right pair. I'll be missing you, he'll be missing Daisy."

Gabriella nodded. "I guess so. Is Blitzen neutered?"

Troy shook his head. "No. My parents wanted me to but he isn't aggressive. Quite the opposite, actually. So, I didn't want to pay for something that was pointless. And even if he got given the chance to mate with another dog, he probably wouldn't know what to do, anyway."

She giggled and shrugged. "Well, as long as you'd know what to do."

Troy suddenly realised the second implication of the statement and he held back a moan of her talking like that. She could've been talking about Troy knowing what to do if Blitzen got Daisy pregnant or talking about Troy being experienced with girls and sex. He leaned down and kissed her. "This is the first time we've truly been alone."

She nodded. "I know."

"Aren't you nervous?" He asked sceptically.

She shook her head. "No. Should I be?"

"That's not what I meant. I meant, are you nervous of how far things could go?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I trust you. I trust you enough to know that you won't do anything unless I say its okay."

He kissed her nose. "I love you."

She giggled and kissed him on the lips. "I love you, too."


	17. I need you

**A/N: I really liked this chapter and I hope HSMandChelseaFCfan does, too :)**

**Don't own HSM

* * *

**

Chapter 16 – 

For the rest of the week, Troy had taken homework over to Gabriella's house, studied with her, well, she helped him with his studying, and then he left at half past eight. They alternated between studying and kissing and would often find Troy without a shirt and their books long forgotten. Sharpay had dropped round a couple of nights and soon found that the theatre was their ground of common interest and they would have lengthy conversations about different musicals and Broadway stars. If the truth be known, it was the one subject Gabriella was clueless in.

On the following Saturday, leaving still two weeks for Troy and Gabriella to be together, it was boiling and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The heat was getting to everyone. Especially Gabriella who couldn't wear the bikini she wanted to outside of the back yard. So, she was stuck sunbathing with Sharpay in her back yard on two towels whilst Carl, Landon, Zeke and Greg practised their basketball. The heat was even getting to Daisy, too, who was simply lying next to Gabriella.

Gabriella adjusted her sunglasses and sighed softly. "Shar, I don't know why you need Lava Springs when you get days like this in Albuquerque."

Sharpay laughed. "Yes, but there's a time of year called Winter, honey."

"I suppose." Gabriella mumbled. "I see you're getting on pretty well with my Wildcat." She whispered.

Sharpay nodded. "He's pretty cool once I stop thinking about the obvious reason to hate him."

Gabriella pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and propped up onto one elbow to look down on her best friend. "So there are reasons that are not so obvious?"

Sharpay smirked up at Gabriella. "Well, you wouldn't see them, obviously." Whilst Gabriella had stuck with a simple white bikini, Sharpay had decided on a pink one with sparkly hearts on it. Gabriella had had to refrain from rolling her eyes when she saw Zeke practically drooling at the sight of Sharpay in her bikini. Luckily, Carl had 'accidentally' hit him in the head with a basketball.

"Obviously? Shar, I'm in love with him. What other reasons are there to hate him?" She exclaimed.

Sharpay sighed and took her sunglasses off. "He prefers _Hairspray _to _Grease_!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Whatev." Her phone began playing 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift and she rushed to pick it up. She slid it up and quickly scanned the text from Troy, a smile spreading over her face.

Sharpay put her sunglasses back on and rolled her eyes. "Interesting ring."

"Hey!" Gabriella exclaimed. "It's a good song."

"Anyway, what's Lover Boy said?" Sharpay asked in boredom.

Gabriella hit her friend's arm and glared. "Shut up."

"Well?"

Gabriella sighed dreamily as she composed a reply. "He says that he's coming round tonight." She said excitedly.

The blonde shrugged. "He's been around your house practically every day since you met. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten into your panties yet."

"Shar!" Gabriella exclaimed.

Sharpay pushed her sunglasses up. "I'm sorry but ever since you told me, you haven't shut up about him."

Gabriella sent a reply and set her phone aside. "Yes, for two reasons. One: if I don't talk about him to you, who will I talk about him to? Two: I thought you'd be excited. I mean, I've never been this serious with a guy and…you've wanted me to get a boyfriend for ages."

"Well, you've said it yourself," Sharpay started as she put her sunglasses back into their previous position, "it's hard to have a steady, serious relationship when you have five brothers who are all very protective of you. Guess what? Your brothers don't know about him."

Gabriella grabbed her sunglasses from her head and slipped them over her eyes and lay back down. "And I plan for it to stay that way until after I go to college. That way I'm a thousand miles away for everyone to hate me."

"True." Sharpay said softly. "So, when's he coming round?"

"I'm not telling you. You'll be here again." She exclaimed indignantly.

Sharpay hurriedly twisted her head. "You want to be alone?"

"What's the big deal? The only way we can be together is to be alone." Gabriella dismissed.

"Yeah, but, I mean…Gabs, talk to me." Sharpay said softly.

"I want him." Gabriella confessed. "I need him. And…do you remember when I first told you about him and I said that I wished that I'd made love to him so that he'd have something I can't give to anybody else?"

"Of course." Sharpay whispered.

Gabriella sighed and sat up, stretching her stiff back muscles. "I want him to have my virginity before I go to Stanford."

Sharpay sat up, too, and took her sunglasses off. "Two weeks? Gabs, really?"

"I don't know if Troy and I are meant to be together. But, I know I want this. And if I know Troy like I think I do, he'll be happy to give me this." Gabriella whispered.

"Which guy wouldn't?" Sharpay mumbled.

Gabriella giggled. "True."

"So, you really love him, don't you?" She asked.

Gabriella nodded. "More than anything." She suddenly raised her hand and easily caught the basketball hurtling towards her. "Out!"

Carl laughed and jogged over to his twin as she got to her feet. "Thanks, Bells. Have you put suntan lotion on?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yes, I have. Now go!"

Carl looked down at Sharpay and glared. "Hey, blondie."

Sharpay got to her feet and glared back. "Gabs told you to go, so go!" She watched Carl walk away before she turned to Gabriella. "You know you'll always have me, right? No matter what everyone else does or how they react, you're my best friend."

Gabriella smiled brightly as they hugged. "You're mine, too. I'm glad to have someone's support in all of this."

Sharpay smile slightly. "Just be happy. Okay?"

* * *

Troy hurriedly and expertly climbed Gabriella's tree and silently cursed. He was late. So very late. He'd promised Gabriella he'd be there for six thirty and it was now seven. Jack, Chad and Jason had told him that they should practice before Troy 'headed over to Kelsi's' and it had lasted half an hour. Luckily, his performance was great because he was looking forward to seeing his Gabriella. Nonetheless, he was late. Beyond late. He hoped that Gabriella wasn't mad at him. That week when she didn't talk to him was the worst week of his life. He had felt his depression slowly creep back into him and he knew that everyone had been worried about him. But, it just proved that he _needed_ Gabriella.

Maybe it was a little selfish. People say that to be truly in love, you have to want the person's happiness, not the actual person. But, he couldn't live without her anymore. On the other hand, he wouldn't force her to stay if she wanted to go. He'd risk the depression if it meant that she wasn't unhappy.

He hoisted himself over the railing in just his shorts and white shirt which was unbuttoned because of the heat. He checked the door handle and pushed the door open, locking it behind him. He really needed to talk to Gabriella. A creepy man could come in and… His thoughts broke off when he thought about the fantasies he'd had about her. He was the creepy man. He shrugged his shirt and shoes off, leaving them carelessly by her desk. He glanced over to her door and saw that it was locked.

He finally glanced to the bed and his heart skipped a beat. Gabriella was lying there, sleeping, in just a white bikini. He'd never noticed before but her abs were perfectly toned and where did she hide those breasts? Her hair was splayed out above her head and he spied a tank top and jeans neatly folded on her desk. It was obvious she had fallen asleep because of the heat and knew she'd need cooling down.

Something then occurred to him. He couldn't see Daisy or her food or water or any of her toys. Gabriella had left her somewhere else in the house which was unusual because Gabriella had confessed that Daisy brought her a sense of comfort; that no one was going to come into her room in the middle of the night. Well, except Troy.

He shrugged it off and made his way into her bathroom, grabbing two small towels. He slung one over his shoulder and dampened the other one with cold water. He rung it out and then hurried back into the bedroom, already craving the sight of Gabriella. He knelt next to her on the bed and placed the dry towel next to him and brushed some dark curls from her forehead. He began to lightly dab her neck and shoulders with the damp towel, cooling down her warm skin.

He was impressed. There wasn't a hint of sunburn anywhere on her body. He moved down to her stomach, using only the lightest of touches and marvelling in the new sight of skin exposed to him. She was simply beautiful. Exceptionally so. Her white bikini contrasted perfectly with her olive skin and make her legs seem longer than they were.

He heard groaning and diverted his eyes to her face just as her eyes fluttered open. "Shhh…" He soothed and leaned forward to kiss her chastely.

She closed her eyes again and shifted slightly. "You're late." She whispered but he heard no anger in her voice.

"I know, I know." He said softly as he continued to sooth her skin with the moist towel. He moved onto her arms, making sure to touch everywhere he could, especially her fingers.

Her eyes opened again and smiled at him. He was looking so concentrated, as if he was struggling to simply rub the towel across her skin. But, she knew he was simply worshipping her. He always took on that expression whenever he was trying to either calm her down, pleasure her or simply admire her. "What are you doing?"

He looked over to her face and chuckled in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. You just looked really hot…I mean, uncomfortable in the heat. I thought I was helping." He took the wet cloth away from her skin.

"No, no." She said hurriedly. "I liked it. I just wondered what you were doing…whilst shirtless."

"Well, you're not the only one who gets uncomfortable in heat. I just can't wear a bikini." He joked as he continued to cool her skin, moving onto her other arm.

She giggled as she watched him. "No, you can't. Why are you late?"

He knew why she was asking. He couldn't blame her. She was simply making sure he hadn't been interfering with Knights. "My dad and friends said we should practice. I'm sorry. I swear I wasn't around any Knights." He looked into her eyes and sighed guiltily.

She nodded and sat up, kissing his cheek. She held his other one in her hand and smiled softly. "It's okay." She whispered. "I believe you. I just like to make sure."

He nodded and kissed her quickly. "I know. Come on, lie back down."

She giggled but complied, lying down gracefully in front of him. She sighed blissfully as soon as he started cooling her legs down, still kneeling next to her. "I love you, Wildcat."

"I love you, too." He whispered. His hands moved smoothly down her leg and began massaging her foot. "You're so beautiful."

"Sorry about the apparent lack of clothing. I haven't left the yard all day. It was so hot and I wanted to be in my bikini but Carl wouldn't let me go anywhere in it in case a," her eyes locked on his, "guys started to get the wrong idea."

He chuckled. "Ironic, huh?"

"Don't stop." She whispered tiredly. "So, I've been sunbathing all day with Shar. I wore my shorts and tank top for dinner but then I couldn't take it."

"Shhh… It's okay." Troy whispered. "But, you're amazingly beautiful."

She blushed deeply. "Thank you. Oh, and I liked the wake up present." She point to his torso which was free for her to stare at.

He looked into her eyes and smirked. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you just want me for my looks."

"Do you really believe that?" She asked quietly.

His hands moved to her other leg as he shook her head. "No. I wouldn't ever. Brie, can I ask something?" He set the damp towel aside and reached for the dry one to dry her skin.

"Sure." She whispered.

"Do I make you happy?" He asked softly, rubbing the towel over her arm.

Gabriella took his hand in hers and pushed both towels off of the bed. She placed her hand over her breast, looking into his eyes. "I'm so happy with you; I can't tell you how happy I am."

His eyes widened as soon as his hands touched her chest. "Gabriella…"

"Please?" She whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek.

"But… Are you sure?" He asked sceptically.

She nodded and let her hand fall from his face, tracing the contours of his chest before she reached the fly of his shirts. She used her free hand to quicken the process but looked up at him suddenly. "You don't want to, do you?" She took her hands away from his shorts and tears began to well in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she rolled over and curled into herself, hugging her knees. Troy's hand fell away from her breast, not touching her at all. Her body heaved with sobs as she cried into her pillow, afraid to face Troy again.

Troy didn't know what to do. He hated it when she cried. A couple of days ago, they watched _Romeo and Juliet_ together and she cried. Despite the fact that it was over fictional characters, he hated it and he had been helpless, not knowing what to do. He wanted to make her happy and thought he had before he'd questioned her and then she'd broken down.

He sighed and lay down next to her, her back facing him. He leant up on one elbow and used his free hand to stroke her hair. "Brie…" He sang.

"I said I'm sorry." She whimpered.

"But, you don't have to. Come on. Face me. Let me see your beautiful face." He whispered.

"But, you don't want to. I'm an idiot." She cried.

He wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose into her hair. "Baby," he cooed, "I'd love to." He whispered.

She sniffed as she twisted her head to face him. "Really?"

He nodded, brushing some curls from her forehead. "Yeah. I just want to make sure you want to."

She rolled over to face him and nodded. "More than anything." She traced his cheek and gave him a watery smile. "I love you and I want to show you."

Troy shook his head. "Please tell me if you're not ready. I can wait."

She reached down and tugged his shorts from his hips and then Troy continued to help her by kicking them off. "I really want this."

Troy pulled her close and kissed her passionately, his fingers dancing up and down her bare back. "I love you." He muttered against her lips.

She pulled back and smiled at him. "I do want this. I promise."

"What about your mom and dad? And C…C…I'll get it. C…Your brothers?" He asked.

She giggled at his failure of saying her brothers' names. "It's Carl and Landon. And they're downstairs. Every Saturday they watch _The Sixth Sense_."

"_Every_ Saturday?" He asked in disbelief.

She nodded. "I stopped watching it years ago. I hate it."

"Don't worry," Troy started as he leaned down to her neck, trailing kisses to her collarbone and shoulder, "I'll protect you."

* * *

Troy twisted his head to look out of Gabriella's balcony doors and looked up at moon and stars shining down. He turned back to Gabriella who was curled around him, her head nestled neatly into the crook of his armpit. She was sleeping, his arm around her, holding her close. Her thin comforter was covering them both; despite knowing that Troy had obviously seen everything, she had wanted to be covered and he had, of course, obliged to her wish. His fingers kept making small invisible patterns on her arm as if he was convincing him that she was real. He'd be sleeping, too, if he could possibly forget their lovemaking but he couldn't and he guessed that he wasn't sleeping ever again.

He wouldn't forget it and he couldn't forget it. No way. It'd been…he couldn't think of an appropriate adjective. Nothing seemed to sum it up. All he knew was that she was the best girl he'd ever had sex with. She was officially the most beautiful woman he'd ever met and he was convinced that he wouldn't meet anyone more beautiful for as long he lived.

Despite her first confidence, convincing Troy that it was what she wanted and it was. But, as soon as it came to it, she was beyond nervous. She'd known that Troy had experience in the bedroom whilst she had none. He had soothed her, kissing her and whispering sweetly in her ear. It had calmed her down immensely, giving her the strength to pull Troy's boxers off without any assistance from him.

Gabriella had had no idea what to expect. She had known that a girl's first time hurt somewhat but other than the pain, she was clueless. Troy had proved to ease Gabriella into the process by showing her how it would feel after the pain subsided. She'd been astounded that she had waited for so long for something so amazing. But, she confessed that she was glad she'd waited for Troy.

She'd been too overwhelmed by everything to reciprocate the early please for Troy but he had dismissed her apology. He told her that it was all about Gabriella. He'd been as gentle as he could be, holding her tightly in his arms as soon as she'd begun crying. He'd constantly whispered to her, telling her that she was beautiful and that she was doing great. The last thing he'd wanted was for her to be hurt but knew that it was inevitable.

Gabriella shifted beside him and he was still watching her as she groaned and draped an arm over his stomach which was exposed to her. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily up at him. "Hey." She whispered.

He returned the smile. "Hey."

She bit her lip and moved her arm from his stomach to reach up and touch his neck as she leaned up to kiss him. She settled back into her previous position and sighed softly. "How are you?"

"Amazing." He breathed. "What about you?"

"The same." She smiled up at him.

He kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. You did enjoy it, didn't you?"

She giggled and nodded. "Of course. I loved it."

He pulled her even closer. "I'm sorry it had to hurt."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I still enjoyed it. Did you?"

Troy blinked at her. "I'm sorry. Did you just ask me if I enjoyed it?" He slowly rolled over so he was straddling her. "Brie, are you seriously asking me that?"

She nodded hesitantly. "Yeah…"

"Brie, I love it, I swear. You were amazing." He whispered.

She breathed out and nodded. "'Kay."

He rolled off of her but kept his arms around her. "So…"

She giggled. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby." He whispered, kissing her temple. He regrettably let go of her and shrugged the comforter off, sitting up. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked out of the balcony doors again.

"Wildcat?" She whispered, tracing his defined eagle wings. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He twisted to face her. "As long as you're lying there, looking beautiful, I'm the best I can be."

She flushed a light pink and nodded. "So, why'd you leave me here without your arms around me?"

He smiled softly and reached over to stroke her cheek. "I'm just thinking."

"What about?" She whispered.

"How this is so hard. I want the world to know that you're mine. Which is why I bought you that necklace. Except it doesn't work the way I want it to. I want people to see that necklace and people to think 'she's in love'. I want the whole universe to know that you're mine." He said softly, his eyes turning glossy.

She nodded with understanding. "I know. I know how you feel. All I've ever wanted is for my family to approve of the guy I see in my future." She shrugged. "I don't think that's going to happen."

Troy smiled sadly. "I love you."

She breathed out deeply. "Can you hold me?"

Troy didn't need to be asked twice. The girl he loved was lying there in front of him, only barely covered by the thin comforter and the necklace he gave her hanging around her neck. Her hair was still slightly tousled from making love and her eyes, her innocent chocolate eyes, begging him over to her. That girl was going to be the end of him. How could he deny her of anything? He practically lunged at her, lying on top of her, feeling her body beneath his. The only thing acting as a barrier between them was the comforter and it was so thin he could feel her naked body beneath it. His arms snaked beneath the comforter enough to wrap his arms around her, his cheek pressed firmly against hers.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, feeling his face against her neck. "Troy, I can't live without you anymore." She whispered.

"I know." He muttered as he kissed her skin.


	18. Double Date?

**A/N: Well, I had my English exam yesterday. My last exam is next friday but then I'm away for the weekend. But, then I have an extended summer :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Chapter 17 – 

Gabriella watched Troy regrettably descend her tree and then reached for her cell phone, knowing he'd text soon. As she tidied her room, getting her bed sorted out and putting yesterday's clothes in the hamper, she couldn't help but blush at the thought of last night. They had made love a second time and Gabriella had contributed a little more, wanting Troy to feel the pleasure just like she did. After they had fallen asleep again, they woke up and got dressed. Troy had, of course, dressed in his shirt and shorts from the previous day but Gabriella had chosen a summer dress with blue flowers on it, falling just below her knees. It hadn't been on her body for more than a minute before Troy had taken it off again. They had almost made love another time but then they heard people getting up and had decided against it.

Troy had left so he could shower and change his clothes and to get Blitzen as they had agreed to meet at the park, knowing they wouldn't be able to go the day without each other after such a wonderful night. It had been perfect. Admittedly, she had been a little scared for two reasons. One, it was her first time and she was terrified that Troy wouldn't like it because of her inexperience. Two, her family had been in the house at the time. But, no one woke up; they'd been as quiet as they could've been and they'd both loved it.

Gabriella realised that she should probably go downstairs because she needed to see Daisy and it was quite late for her. Her family would soon think something was wrong when it was the opposite. She entered the kitchen to see Maria cooking pancakes, Greg reading the newspaper and Carl, Landon and Zeke were eating breakfast. She sat down next to Greg and kissed his cheek. "Good morning."

Carl frowned at her. "You had a nice lie in."

Gabriella nodded. "Last night, I got into this really good Nicholas Sparks book and I couldn't put it down."

"That's nice, mi hija." Maria commented as she placed some pancakes in front of her daughter. She winked at Gabriella, making her blush.

Gabriella began adding some jelly and cream to her pancake and then started cutting it up. She saw something move out of the corner of her eye and saw Zeke tapping the island counter rhythmically. "What's up with you, twitchy?"

Carl rolled his eyes as he ate his own pancakes. "He asked Sharpay to the movies yesterday."

"Really?" Gabriella asked excitedly.

Carl nodded. "Yeah. He was so shocked she'd said yes."

"I didn't see that one coming." She mumbled sarcastically.

"I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend." Zeke blurted out.

"Wow…And here I was thinking you didn't love her at all." Carl rolled his eyes.

Zeke glared at him. "Shut up."

"She'll say yes." Gabriella said softly.

"How do you know?"

"She's my best friend and we tell each other everything." Gabriella said softly, smiling at him. "She'll say yes."

"When you say everything…" Zeke trailed off.

"Not details!" She exclaimed. "You're like my brother. That's like Carl telling me how many girls he's slept with."

Carl's mouth fell open. "Gabs! For your information, I haven't slept with a girl."

"Right…and I am a leprechaun." She said sarcastically.

"Well…with your height, you could be." Carl joked.

"Some guys think it's cute." She exclaimed.

"Guys? What guys?" Greg asked hurriedly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter, Daddy. Just think of it this way: I'm eighteen. I'm going to find a guy sooner or later."

"Yeah, when you're forty." He decided.

"No!" She exclaimed. "Daddy…" She pouted and crossed her arms.

Greg sighed as he looked at her. "Fine. As soon as you graduate college."

She turned back to her pancakes. "Better than forty."

Daisy suddenly bounded in with a rubber toy shaped as Santa in her mouth and stood on her hind legs to rest her front paws on Gabriella's thigh. Her owner ruffled her fur. "I love you too, Daisy. I'm sorry about last night. You can have my room again tonight." She took the toy from Daisy and threw it into the hallway.

"Why did Daisy sleep down here, anyway?" Landon asked.

Gabriella's eyes widened. "Why? Because I figured that she should learn to sleep in other places because of college and…you know."

Carl stared at his sister in disbelief. "Really?"

"College?" Greg asked. "I thought you were going to U of A to stay at home."

"Well," she looked intently at her breakfast, "I thought that I could live on campus." She wasn't lying. She was just living at Stanford's campus.

Carl put his knife and fork down. "Gabs, can I talk to you in the living room, please?"

She nodded and slid off of her island stool, leading the way into the lounge. "What?"

"Are you kidding me?" He whispered.

She shrugged. "I don't want him to be mad at me."

"Do you really think he would be?" Carl asked.

She wiped her eyes which had turned glossy. "I don't know, Carl. I just know that I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I'm scared. I'm scared to be away from you. You're one of my best friends."

Carl nodded as they both sat down. "I know, Bells. I know. I'm scared, too. I mean, there's a big difference between us. I actually want to play ball for my future. But, I'm still scared."

Gabriella sniffed. "I can't imagine you not being there anymore. You've always been there. Protecting me. Especially from guys." She smiled sadly. "And I'm scared of a lot of things. I'm scared of moving away from Albuquerque. This place is my home. I'm afraid of Stanford. It's going to be big. I'm scared of Dad's disappointment in me. And all of our brothers. And my friends. But, you, too. No one's really been there as much as you. I mean, there are some things we can't talk about but…"

"I know." He laughed to himself. "And if it's to do with guys, feel free to keep it to yourself. But, you need to tell him. Mom's behind you, I'm behind you and blondie, too."

Gabriella giggled. "I know. You have no idea how much your support means to me."

He kissed her forehead. "You're my little sister and you're going to be a great doctor someday. I promise. No matter what everyone else says."

* * *

Gabriella jumped into Troy's arms as soon as she saw him, leaving Daisy to greet Blitzen. "Troy, I've missed you so much."

"It's only been an hour." He chuckled as he held her in his arms, her feet not even touching the ground.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and shrugged. "Are you complaining?"

"You mean about holding my so beautiful, sexy, hot, amazing girlfriend in my arms the day after our first time making love? Hell no!" He exclaimed indignantly.

She giggled and leaned down to kiss him, her arms tight around his neck. She pulled back, just parting enough for her to speak. "Are you coming back tonight?"

"I'm not sure." He said seriously. "It's not that I don't want to but my parents are getting annoyed because I'm never home. Besides, after last night, I don't think it's a good idea, considering it's a school night."

She giggled and nodded. "I guess."

"You were absolutely amazing last night." He whispered as he set her on the ground.

"Thank you." She mumbled.

"I mean it." He smiled encouragingly at her as he nudged her cheek with his nose.

"Blitzen does that to Daisy." She protested, looking up at him.

He kissed the tip of her nose and chuckled. "Well, believe me?"

"But, it was my first time." She muttered. "How could I be amazing?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. But, you were. I promise."

She suddenly smiled and nodded. "Okay. You were wonderful, too. Amazing."

Troy pressed his lips to hers and then they both lay down, his arm around her shoulders. "Where's Sharpay today?"

"Movies with Zeke. He actually asked her out. And he's asking her to be his girlfriend, too." She tilted her head to smile excitedly at Troy. "Shar might have a boyfriend by the end of today."

He nodded, chuckling. "You happy for her?"

"Of course." She giggled. "They're so damn in love, it's unbelievable."

"More than us?" Troy asked seriously.

Gabriella thought about it for a moment. "I'm going to say no. But, it's because we need to be confident that this isn't going to end. I want you, Troy."

"I know." He whispered. "You've got me. I'm not going away. I told you: you will always have me close. I'm not going anywhere. And…just for the record, I want you, too."

She giggled and heard Daisy bark happily with Blitzen barking straight after her. She closed her eyes and sighed happily. "You know, maybe I'll keep you instead of those Californian men."

Troy laughed as he shifted onto his side and slid his hand under the hem of her dress. His lips attached softly to her neck as his hand ran up and down her thigh. "Well, I'm glad you love me so much." He mumbled between kisses.

She giggled, stroking his hair. "Do you think you should be doing this?"

"Why not?" He muttered into her skin, his fingers dancing lightly over her thigh.

"Things could keep going…" She trailed off and pushed him away. She sighed and twisted her head to see Daisy lying down peacefully, panting from running around and the heat and Blitzen was lying beside her, licking her back.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked quietly, stroking her arm. He leaned up onto his elbow to look down at her. "Is it your dad? And brothers and friends?"

She turned her head to look up at him. "No, it's not that."

He shrugged. "Then…what?"

"Do you ever think about the future?" She asked quietly.

He nodded, brushing some curls from her forehead. "Everyday."

"What do you see?" She whispered.

"What do _you_ see?" He replied.

"I'm serious." She exclaimed as she sat up, making him sit up, too.

"You." He whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek. "I see you."

She blushed and leaned forward to kiss him. "I love you."

"Ever since I've told you, you haven't stopped saying it." He laughed, kissing her nose.

"Well, it's true." She pouted, looking unbelievably adorably to Troy.

"I know. I love you, too." He whispered.

* * *

Sharpay grunted in frustration. What to wear? What to wear? Did Gabriella have this much trouble on her first date with Troy? Probably. When it was her first date with Troy, she wasn't able to call Sharpay and ask for her opinion. She'd had to struggle by herself. And this wasn't even going to somewhere as fancy as The Glitz. This was just the movies. She'd been trying to impress Zeke for years and now she was clueless. She was the fashion queen at West High. She always had the right outfit for the right occasion. She always had the perfect style. And now she couldn't think of anything that would look right.

"Ryan!" She yelled, pulling her bedroom door open.

Ryan appeared a few seconds later in his pyjamas and yawned tiredly. "What?"

"What do I wear?" She demanded.

He shrugged. "What do you usually wear?"

"This is a date, not some…whatever. What do I wear?" She repeated.

"How should I know?" He exclaimed.

"You're my brother!" She whined.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I honestly don't know. I'm going back to bed." He waved his hand dismissively as he retraced his steps to his room.

"Why Martha fell for you is beyond me!" She yelled before she slammed the door. She folded her arms over her pink sparkly nightdress and pouted. Gabriella was her last resort. Whether she'd just slept with Bolton or not, she was going to give her advice. She picked up her cell phone and dialled Gabriella's phone, holding it to her ear.

Sharpay assumed that Gabriella had checked the caller ID because the first thing the blonde heard was giggling and, "Troy, stop it."

"Okay, whatever he's doing to you is making me want to hurl." She exclaimed.

"Hey, Evans, mind your own business." Troy exclaimed. "Baby, don't run away from me!"

"Okay, I'm here." Gabriella giggled.

"Gabs?" Sharpay asked.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Stop it!"

"It's not my fault. Troy's-" Gabriella started.

"I don't want to know." Sharpay interrupted as she went back over to her walk in closet. "Options for movies."

Gabriella immediately knew what Sharpay was talking about and took on a business-like tone. "What movie are you seeing?"

"Zeke said we could see _Ghost of Girlfriends Past _because I want to see it. I offered to watch that _Star Wars_ movie he's weirdly into or _Transformers_ but he said it was cool." Sharpay explained, sifting through her outfits.

"Right. Rom-com. Hmmm… Troy, stop it. This is serious." Gabriella protested.

"You're giving her advice on what to wear." He said, boredom lacing his voice. "What's more important: outfits or me?"

"You can't ask me that. Number one: I'm a girl. I love clothes. Number two: Shar is going on a date with Zeke. It's important." She whined.

"'Kay." He mumbled. "It's a good job I love you. I'll go and play with Daisy and Blitzen."

"Love you, too." She called happily. "So, you're seeing a rom-com, it's your first date and you're Sharpay Evans. What about that dress you bought last week?"

"He's seen that." Sharpay mumbled.

"Has he?" Gabriella asked. "Anyway, do you want to stick to pink?"

"Well duh! He'd think I was sick or something if I showed up in something other than pink." Sharpay exclaimed indignantly. "Yes, I want pink."

"Glitter?" Gabriella questioned.

"A little. Nothing overpowering. If I was going to The Glitz…" She trailed off.

"Hey! The Glitz is our thing. A little glitter…" She trailed off thoughtfully. "What about that white and pink shirt with the rhinestones and the matching skirt?"

Sharpay spied the outfit suggested by her friend and tugged experimentally on the sleeve. "I like it. Girl, we must be so lame. We know every outfit in our closets."

Gabriella giggled. "I guess. Ow! Blitzen!" She exclaimed through giggles. "Troy! Don't just stand there."

"I'm sorry, baby." He said through laughs. "Blitzen, go to Daisy. I love you."

"Hmmmm…Rescue me a little faster next time." She exclaimed jokingly. "Love you, too."

"So, how was he?" Sharpay asked softly as she took her desired outfit into her bedroom.

"How was who?" Gabriella asked slowly.

"How was Troy?" She repeated.

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella asked quietly.

"In bed. Is he really as good as he looks?" Sharpay asked.

"Sharpay!" She exclaimed through a laugh. "I'm not telling you that."

"Was he bad?"

"Shar." Gabriella laughed.

"He was good?"

"Shar!"

"He was! Admit it. He was great." Sharpay said triumphantly.

Gabriella laughed softly. "Well, I've got nothing to compare him to."

Sharpay shrugged to herself. "But, did everything _happen_ together?"

"I am definitely not telling you that." Gabriella decided. "Have fun."

Sharpay rolled her eyes as she hung up. "The cheeky girl. That boy has changed her more than she knows."

* * *

Gabriella sat on her balcony that evening with Daisy after returning home from her afternoon with Troy. Although they'd only parted a few hours ago, Troy was already on the phone to her.

"What are you doing now?"

Gabriella gently played with a curl in her hair as she replied. "I'm sitting on my balcony waiting for Zeke to come home or for Shar to ring – by the way you are probably holding that call up – because I'm nervous in case something has gone horribly wrong."

"I can go if you want seeing as it sounds like you're more interested in your best friend than your boyfriend." Gabriella could hear the joking tone in his voice but also knew he was being serious at the same time.

"Trust me it's fine. Once Shar has tried a few times, she'll get annoyed when I'm engaged and will ring the house. Besides who knows what time they'll get in even though it's a school night." Gabriella's attention was suddenly drawn to the car that pulled up in the Montez driveway. "Zeke's back."

Troy could hear her perk up at the sight of her friend. "How's he look?"

Assessing him for a few seconds, she frowned seeing the blank look he wore across his face. "Troy, I gotta go. Something's up. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you too, babe. Goodnight."

Hanging up the phone, the petite teen walked through her room and down the stairs just as Zeke entered the house. "What happened?"

Zeke just shrugged and walked past as Carl appeared from the living room, too. "What happened, dude? You ask her?"

Turning to the Montez twins, Zeke just shrugged. "Nothing really. Took her to the movies, grabbed a bite to eat, took a walk in the park and asked her to be my girlfriend and took her home. You know, nothing a normal date doesn't consist of."

Gabriella looked at Carl before turning back to the boy in front of her. "And what did she say?"

"Oh she said yes obviously."

Carl slapped hands in congratulations with their friend. "Way to go, dude."

Carl and Zeke flinched as Gabriella squealed and pulled them into a hug. "This is so awesome. I have to go call Shar."

The two boys just laughed as she ran out the kitchen and up to her room in excitement.

***

"You should have seen how nervous he was, Gabi. His whole body was shaking with nerves, I just wanted to jump up and say yes but I was scared in case he hadn't been planning on asking." The whole phone conversation between the two girls had been full of 'aww' and 'really' in near enough every sentence.

"I was worried you'd turned him down when he got back. He barely said anything and just looked blank."

Sharpay laughed. "Yeah that was kinda my idea. I wanted him to make you wait a few minutes longer because I knew you would have been spying on him, hoping to judge him straight away."

Gabriella pouted even though no one could see her. "You're mean."

"Well that's what you get for failing to give me real detail earlier." Gabriella rolled her eyes. "You do know that if you could somehow find a way to tell Zeke all about you and Troy because he wouldn't freak, we could double date."

Sighing, she tried to ignore the thoughts that filled her head if Zeke or her brothers or even her dad ever found out about her and Troy. "Not happening, Shar. Zeke will kill not only Troy but me too for dating him when I know full well the relationship they have with any Wildcat."

"This sucks. How is it the one time we both have boyfriends we can't double date because of a stupid rivalry?"

"Tell me about it. You don't have to live being torn in your heart." Gabriella whispered.

"It'll get easier, Gabs, I promise. And remember no matter what happens you'll always have me and your Mom. Heck even Zeke because we both know I have him wrapped around my little finger so tight he's stuck."

Gabriella smiled. "Thanks, Shar. Plus, make sure it's only your little finger Zeke stays tied around." The two girls laughed as they carried on talking long into the night.


	19. The Truth

**A/N: :O drama! I only did this in a couple of days. I don't know how I wrote so much! good news: my last exam is Friday!!! Woot! And a week on Friday, I am going with my entire family to see McFly for the third time!!! Woohoo!!! lol. Anyway, I wrote this all by myself because I kept thinking of something to write lol. But, HSMandChelseaFCfan seemed to like this so, I hope you do, too :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Chapter 18 – The Truth

Ever since Troy and Gabriella had made love, Troy would rush over to her house after school just so they could be close. On Wednesday, the heat had been bordering on unbearable again and with Maria at work, Landon practising for the Redhawks and Greg, Carl and Zeke practising at West High, Troy and Gabriella found themselves savouring the silence, allowing themselves to freely express their love for each other without worrying about being caught. Troy had always left in the evening to spend a couple of hours with his parents before he went to sleep. Gabriella had tried to help him with his homework but she was getting so stressed with her own homework and finals that she had actually cried whilst helping him work out a quadratic equation. He had soothed her with kisses and whispers, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. He had told her not to worry about it and that Taylor or Kelsi would help him with it.

Gabriella honestly couldn't be happier. The only thing that was possibly decreasing her happiness was how she still had to tell practically everyone about Stanford and her relationship with Troy. However, Troy had a wonderful knack for calming her down and assured her that no matter what happened, he'd never leave her. Her locket still hung from her neck but the only person who had questioned it was Sharpay.

Her friends and family had all noticed the difference in her. She now was playing more basketball with her brothers and the only thing that stressed her out was her finals and whenever U of A was mentioned. However, even that was becoming less frequent.

The championships were now one week away. She knew that Troy had told her to cheer for the Knights but she knew it would be hard not to cheer for her boyfriend. Then, she'd be leaving. She still had to tell everybody. It was the one thing that couldn't escape her mind. Even when Troy calmed her down, the thought was always niggling at her, preventing her from simply enjoying Troy's love and affection.

On the Saturday, the whole Montez family – except Gabriella's three oldest brothers – were enjoying the heat in the park. Sharpay, Ryan and Martha had joined them, too. Gabriella was dressed in a soft yellow sundress, knowing her brothers' reactions if she wore anything else, and she was lying on her stomach on a soft blanket, a biology book spread out in front of her. Greg and Maria were sitting on a wooden picnic bench nearby with a picnic spread out in front of them. Sharpay was lying on her back on a similar blanket next to Gabriella. Carl, Landon, Zeke, Ryan, Martha and even Daisy were playing close by with a Frisbee.

"How are you and Zeke?" Gabriella asked, turning to her best friend.

Sharpay sighed. "Beyond perfect. How are you and Mr Romeo?"

Gabriella giggled. "We're great. We're amazing. He's amazing. He knows just what to say and do. And I'm so excited for when we'll be in Cali together. I mean, I'm terrified of telling everybody but I'm really looking forward to it. Shar, I really love him."

Sharpay nodded. "I know you do, honey."

She sighed. "One week until I leave. I can't believe it. It doesn't seem long enough."

"If he's worth it, you'll be fine," Sharpay said softly.

Gabriella smiled as she turned the page. "I know. But, listen, I'll call you when I'm in Cali."

"If you don't, I'd send Troy up there to punish you," Sharpay threatened.

Gabriella sighed dreamily. "You don't know what he thinks 'punishment' means, though."

"Gross! Gabs!" Sharpay exclaimed.

Gabriella giggled. "I'm sorry, Shar."

"So, where is he today?" Sharpay asked.

"With his friends. Much like I am, probably," Gabriella exclaimed.

"That's cool." She suddenly sat up and looked at Gabriella, startling her. "Please tell me how he is!"

"You have Zeke. Why do you want to know?" Gabriella exclaimed, sitting up as well.

Sharpay raised her eyebrows.

Gabriella sighed. "Well, he was my first, as you know. And so I don't know how it feels to other girls but, it felt amazing to me. Not just the actual…you know, but how he did everything. He always made sure I was okay and he always looked me in the eyes and he was so gentle as if he was afraid to hurt me by just touching me. I'd never really thought about what it would be like but, I'd never imagined it to be so…peaceful. He kept whispering to me that he loved me. It's so cheesy and cliché but it felt like it was just him and me. Like there weren't any worries about college or a stupid feud. Like it was only us in the world." Tears were trickling down her cheeks and she wiped them away with the back of her hands.

"You okay?"

The young girl nodded. "Yeah. It's just…I never thought him of all people could make me so happy. I never want it to end."

Sharpay grinned. "I'm glad he was the one who rescued you. That wasn't a coincidence, you know. It was fate. You two are meant to be together."

"I don't know, Shar," Gabriella said dubiously. "I've never really been into that stuff."

"Oh, come on! It's just like _Romeo and Juliet_. You know, star-crossed lovers and whatever. I mean, I hope you guys don't die because that's kind of…scary. But, you know the book better than me. What does it say about them?" Sharpay asked.

"Exactly that. Shar, you didn't help. You basically said that while Troy and I are together, we're going to die!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry. I've never been good at that English stuff. You know I prefer art and drama," she defended. "Well, Gabs, he won't let you go without a fight. And remember what you said? You'd still choose him over your family, right?"

Gabriella nodded her head vigorously. "Of course."

Sharpay shrugged. "Just make sure I'm the godmother of your first child!"

"We're not married yet!" Gabriella exclaimed indignantly.

Suddenly, Daisy barked and ran away from the current Frisbee game. Gabriella quickly twisted her head to face the direction her dog disappeared in. "Oh, no."

"What? What's wrong?" Sharpay asked hurriedly.

Gabriella got to her feet and faced Sharpay as she, too, stood up. "Daisy only runs away for one thing: Blitzen. He must be near but that means Troy is, too."

"Hey, where'd Daisy go?" Carl asked, looking around.

Gabriella lifted her thumb and forefinger to her mouth and a piercing high pitched whistle knifed the air, causing silence to fall over the group of Knights. "Daisy!" she hollered, praying that Blitzen wouldn't follow. However, she cursed the high heavens when Daisy bounded excitedly back but with her companion. They both sat down obediently at Gabriella's feet, their tails wagging happily. Their brown eyes shone brightly in the sun and they were both panting, waiting for a command from her.

She sighed and knelt down in front of them, one hand fussing each dog. "Daisy, what have you done? You know I love Blitzen just like Troy does, but why did you bring him here? Where's Troy?"

Blitzen barked happily and twisted his head in the direction of the lake and then turned back to her.

"Well, go! Don't stay here!" Gabriella exclaimed in frustration.

"Who is Daisy's friend?" Zeke asked as he jogged over with Carl.

"Uh…" Gabriella looked up at Sharpay who shrugged.

"Blitzen!" a loud, boisterous voice called.

Gabriella looked up and groaned when she saw Chad and Jason approaching with Troy rushing after them, obviously trying to stop them going in Gabriella's direction. "Oh, god."

"Wildcat alert," Carl mumbled lowly.

Greg and Maria, along with the rest of Gabriella's friends joined them and Greg glared as Chad, Jason and Troy came to a stop. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting Blitzen back, Troy's dog. Blitzen!" Chad called but Blitzen kept sitting and licked Daisy's neck.

Greg looked horrified. "That's _your _dog?" He pointed an accusing finger at Troy.

Troy nodded and stepped forward so he was kneeling opposite Gabriella and fussed Blitzen. "Yes, he's mine." He looked into Gabriella's eyes and shook his head softly and mouthed _I'm sorry_.

She nodded in acknowledgement and took her hand away from Blitzen. "Daddy, I can handle this."

"No!" He said sternly. "Get your filthy mut away from my daughter," he growled at Troy.

"Daddy, leave it. He's not interested in me," she paused to take a deep breath and connected her eyes with Troy's, "he wants to be with Daisy."

"How do you know?" Carl asked quietly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to Troy before she rose to her full height. "Because I know Blitzen. He and Daisy have known each other for a while now."

Greg raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Princess, he's a Wildcat."

"Excuse me, Mr Montez, Sir," Troy raised his hand nervously as he stood up, "my dog doesn't go to school. He's just a German shepherd, that's all. He doesn't care if he's a Wildcat or," he looked into Gabriella's eyes, "if Daisy's a Knight."

"Wait a second!" Landon exclaimed angrily. "Let me get this straight…you _know_ him?"

Gabriella sighed as she saw Jack, Lucille and the rest of Troy's friends approach. She closed her eyes as Jack spoke, "What's going on?"

"What has your brat done with my daughter?" Greg snarled.

"What?" Jack asked, turning to Troy. "Son, what's going on?"

Gabriella crouched down again, finding comfort in her faithful companion. "I'm so sorry, Daddy."

"Princess, I just want to know what's going on."

Troy knelt beside her and rested a hand on her back. "Brie, you okay?"

"Just tell them," she whispered, moving into his open arms to cry into his neck.

"Get off my daughter!" Greg bellowed.

Troy rolled his eyes, expecting this and let go but Gabriella only held onto him tighter. "Sir, Gabriella wants me to hold her." He wrapped his arms back around her and helped her to stand up. "Um, we've been keeping something from you and we're sorry. We're very sorry and we hope you'll forgive us. We've been going out for a while now…"

"Her? Really? Why?" Jason asked quietly and Kelsi hit him over the head.

Troy sighed. "Jase, it's hard to explain. I love her, okay? I don't care what you say but I do."

"Bells…" Carl started quietly.

Gabriella lifted her head and whimpered at the disappointment in her twin's eyes. "Yeah, Carl?"

"But…I don't understand. How did you meet?" he asked.

Gabriella wiped her eyes and glanced around at all of the people surrounding her. She immediately whimpered and buried her nose into Troy's chest. "I'm sorry, Carl."

"Alright," Maria stepped forward and looked around, "I think this should end. Anyone not directly related to Troy or Gabriella should leave. This is strictly about us."

The friends reluctantly left, Sharpay hugging both Troy and Gabriella, and Gabriella smiled thankfully at Maria. "Gracias, Mama."

She nodded and sighed. "I think this should be sorted at our house."

"Why your house?" Jack demanded.

Greg stepped forward. "We have the bigger house!"

"I'm sorry; I didn't want the Brady Bunch!" Jack snarled.

Gabriella broke from Troy's arms and wandered over to the picnic bench and picked up a bottle of water, taking a swig of it. Troy watched on helplessly and leaned his head back, groaning in frustration. He lifted his head when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to find Carl looking him up and down in an evaluating manner. "Hi."

Carl nodded in acknowledgement and folded his arms. "You and my sister?"

Troy shrugged uncomfortably. "I didn't plan on being with a Knight, if I'm honest. I definitely didn't plan on being with a Montez. And if I didn't feel so strongly about her, I'd probably let it go. But," he paused to close his eyes and swallow a large lump in his throat, "I can't live without her. I know it's weird with you being her brother and all but, I can't. I love her so, so much and I need her. You know when me and my friends pulled the prank on you guys?"

Carl nodded slowly, still evaluating everything Troy was saying. "Of course. It really knocked Bella's confidence."

Troy winced at the icy tone. "I know. She broke up with me and wouldn't answer my calls or e-mails or anything. My family actually thought I was becoming depressed again."

"Oh, yeah," Carl grinned, "_The Comeback Kid_! I remember that. What was it? Four years ago?"

Troy nodded. "That's why I got Blitzen. In a way, he's why we met."

Carl raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"He liked Daisy immediately." Troy shrugged. "I honestly don't know how I'm going to cope next week."

For the first time since the revelation, Carl cracked the ghost of a smile but it vanished so fast, Troy questioned himself as to whether it was even there. "You going to miss her?"

Troy nodded sadly. "Can I tell you something? You know, in confidence? Don't worry, Brie knows. I know we've never seen eye-to-eye…and I apologise. I just want you to know that U of A is your territory next year."

"What do you mean?" Carl asked suspiciously.

Troy shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "I'm going to the University of California in Berkeley."

"Berkeley? Isn't that near Silicon Valley…" He trailed off with realisation. "You accepted that to be with her, didn't you?"

"She was part of the reason. The other part…I want to leave Albuquerque. It drives me crazy how everyone expects me to hate you and up until Taylor told me her name a couple of weeks before I met her, I didn't know Gabriella's name." Troy spoke softly, willing Carl to trust him, knowing how much his approval would make Gabriella happy.

Carl nodded in understanding. "It annoys Bells, too."

"I'm sorry for anything insulting I ever said about her. That's my point: people expect me to hate you but I don't know you at all."

Carl sighed. "I'm not making promises but I think I need to give you a chance. You obviously mean so much to Bella and that's good enough for me. For now."

Troy sensed the teasing tone in Carl's voice and smiled at him. "Thank you. Do you think we should help our moms attempt to stop our dads from fighting?"

Carl looked over at the scene. "I don't know. Your mom looks pretty strong."

Troy hit his arm and glared. "Hey!"

"You get my sister, I can look at your mom." Carl shot back.

The two boys glared at each other before they both burst out laughing. "Just make sure it stays to looking. She's married to my dad."

"Deal," Carl agreed.

* * *

After finally getting Greg and Jack to stop fighting, everyone had packed up and travelled back to the Montez house. Whilst Greg, Maria, Carl, Landon and Zeke rode in Greg's car, and Jack and Lucille followed in their car, Troy, Gabriella, Daisy and Blitzen walked there, giving them both some time to think. Gabriella was quiet. She was ignoring any attempts Troy made to talk and he eventually sat her down on a wooden bench, Blitzen and Daisy sitting at their feet.

He rested a hand on her thigh but not in the seductive manner she had grown accustomed to. "Baby, please talk to me."

She stared at his hand and sighed, closing her eyes. "I didn't want them to find out like that. I wanted to tell them. Carl is so disappointed in me."

"That might be. But, he loves you enough to give me a chance," Troy said softly. "Baby, it'll work out. Maybe not quickly, but it will."

"Vegas is looking better and better," she mumbled.

"Hey, come on. Listen, I know we didn't plan for everyone to find out this way but everyone knows and I think its better this way," he whispered, nudging her neck with his nose.

Gabriella snuggled into him and sighed. "I just feel so humiliated. Especially by your friends."

"Hey, my friends probably won't beat you up. Me, however. Oh, god, Chad…He'll be so pissed off with me. I lied to him and dated a Knight! That's breaking nearly every rule of our friendship," he exclaimed as he lifted his head from her shoulder.

"You made a rule up to not date a Knight?" she asked slowly.

Troy shrugged. "I never thought I would. And I know Chad wouldn't ever and Jase wouldn't ever. It just seemed like common sense."

She leaned over and kissed him deeply, allowing him to show the first public display of affection ever. She felt his hands rub soothingly over her back and she brought comfort from it. Her hands ran gently through his hair and she moaned into his mouth the second their tongues met. She pulled back breathlessly and she looked down at her lap, not wanting Troy to see how much her eyes had watered. "I don't want them to keep us apart. I need you and I love you so much. I know I won't ever fall in love with anyone else. You're everything to me, Troy."

Troy lifted her head and his eyes went wide. "Brie, come on. Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry. Please. Listen, we'll be in Cali next year and we can stay as long as we want. We don't have to just stay there for college!"

She released a weak giggle but it didn't last. "I know. Troy, my father can be very…um, persuasive when it comes to my boyfriends. With past ones, I just let it go. I barely liked them. They just wanted some status in Albuquerque because I'm a Montez. But, please don't give into him. On the other hand, don't give him any reason to hate you. I mean, he already does but you know what I mean."

Troy smiled brightly at her. "Baby, you must know by now that I love you, right?"

"I love you, too," she replied gently.

"Exactly. I'm not giving up on you. And, I won't let him scare me because I'll keep looking over at your beautiful face and I won't break down. Besides, I don't get scared easily. I cope just fine with your brothers," Troy exclaimed, tugging coolly on his collar.

"Really?" she whispered, shuffling closer to him so their legs were touching and her face was as close to his as was possible without them ending up kissing. "You looked pretty terrified of my dad back there."

"Hey, I could practically read his thoughts. He was going to rip me up and put me on a skewer and eat me as a kebab!" he exclaimed. "The glare he was sending me was scary."

She giggled and kissed him gently, savouring the sweet taste of his mouth. "I love you," she mumbled.

He pulled back and peppered kisses all over her face. "I love you, too," he muttered between kisses.

She pushed him away and took a deep breath as she stood up and held her hand out for him. "I need you."

Troy nodded and got his feet, ignoring her hand and immediately slipping his arm around her waist. He kissed her temple and tugged on Blitzen's leash. "Come on, buddy. We gotta go."

They walked slowly to Gabriella's house, savouring the feel of each other's presence. Gabriella's hold on him slowly got tighter with every step, eventually making him ask her to let go a little bit. She sighed and leaned into him more. "You know if our parents stop us seeing each other?"

"They won't," Troy decided. "But, carry on. What about it?"

"In Cali…you'll wait for me, right?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

He nodded. "Duh! Of course I'd wait for you. I'd wait forever for you."

"Good," she whispered as she kissed his cheek.

They approached her house and saw the two cars lined up on the driveway. Gabriella breathed deeply but found great comfort in Troy simply linking their fingers together. She pushed the door open and immediately let Daisy off of the leash. Troy followed suit with Blitzen who followed Daisy out into the back yard. Gabriella shut the door behind them and she immediately reached for his hand, needing to touch him in some way. She wasn't sure why but knew that simply touching the love of her life made her feel safe and comforted.

He lifted her knuckles to his lips. "Come on. We need to do this sooner or later."

She nodded reluctantly and trudged into the lounge. She saw an uneasy sight. Maria and Lucille were both sitting awkwardly on the couch, cups of coffee nursed in their laps. Each of the armchairs was occupied by Greg and Jack, their glares locked on each other. Carl, Zeke and Landon were nowhere to be seen. "Mama? Where's Carl? And Zeke and Landon?" she asked in a whisper.

Maria smiled apologetically. "We sent them over to Sharpay's and Ryan's. We thought it would be better if they weren't around."

"No," Greg argued. "_You_ thought it would be better." He rose quickly to his feet and turned to Troy. Gabriella stood instinctively in front of Troy, knowing her father would never hurt her. "_You_ need to be taught a lesson by my sons."

"Daddy, please," Gabriella begged, her fingers still interlocked with Troy's.

"Can't you see?" Greg asked in disbelief. "He's obviously using you to get to your brothers."

Gabriella let out a quiet whimper and tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Please let me explain."

"How could you be so careless?" he yelled angrily. "A Bolton? Are you insane? Does your name mean anything to you?"

Maria stood up, placing her cup on the coffee table. "Greg, please calm down. Gabriella doesn't need this. Gabby, mi hija, why don't you and Troy sit down?"

Lucille rose, placing her cup on the coffee table, too, and was soon joined by Jack. Troy and Gabriella sat down nervously in front of their parents, their fingers linked in Gabriella's lap. "Mr Montez, Sir, I wouldn't ever use your daughter for anything, I swear."

"You would say that, wouldn't you?" Greg growled.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Troy, please tell me you had some genius plan to prank the Knights behind all of this?"

Troy bowed his head and then shook it, denying the question. "No, Dad."

"So, you want to be with…_her_," Jack exclaimed, pointing accusingly at Gabriella.

Gabriella flinched under his stare and Troy immediately let go of her hand to pull her into his arms. "Dad," he began strongly, not wavering under his father's harsh glare, "please, listen to us. Give us a chance to explain."

"Gabby, princess, really? What happened to all of the basketball team we talked about? You know, the guys who I would actually let you go out with." He spoke with a tense voice, trying to keep his anger averted away from his only daughter.

She shrugged. "Daddy, do you honestly think any of those guys would go out with me for Gabriella and not for Montez?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked quietly.

She stood up and wiped her eyes. She threw her hands up in frustration. "What do you want from me? Whenever a guy from the basketball team asked me out, I said yes because one of my morals is that everyone deserves a chance. But, then, a couple of weeks later, you hate him. Now that I have fallen in love with the most incredible guy I've ever met, you want me to date _the entire basketball team_? When will you understand that anyone other than a Wildcat just wants me because of you! They want some status in Albuquerque and think that I'm an easy way in. Please tell me what's going through your mind because, quite frankly, it may be the one thing I don't understand."

"You told me you didn't follow my conversation with Sharpay about musicals," Troy said in confusion.

She turned to him and laughed sarcastically. "Shut up!" She turned back to Greg. "Daddy, those guys at West High, they don't like me. They don't care about me. I'll bet you they don't know what I want to do when I leave school. But, Troy does."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Troy, are you seriously that depressed? That you needed to date a Knight?" he asked in disbelief.

Troy stood up and glared. "I'm not depressed. Far from it. Gabriella makes me so happy and if you even thought about me, you'd see that."

A silence fell over the group of people. Gabriella shifted uneasily and sat back down again. "And, just for the record," she mumbled, "he makes me happy, too."

Troy sat down next to her and kissed her temple. "Please. We love each other."

Greg swallowed his anger and chuckled lifelessly. "So, how did you meet?"

Gabriella shrugged to herself. "Daddy, guy with the dog, Troy, my daddy."

"You rescued my daughter?" Greg gasped.

Troy nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"Hmmm…I suppose I owe you a thank you," he murmured.

"You're welcome."

"I said I supposed I owed you one. I never said I was giving it to you," Greg warned.

Troy cowered back. "Sorry, Sir."

Gabriella sighed and clapped her hands together. "So…"

"So?" Jack asked quietly. "That's all you can say?"

She shrugged. "What do you want me to say?" she asked timidly.

"Princess? Have you and Troy done anything together?" Greg asked quietly.

"Well, sure. We've had a few picnics and we do homework together all the time," she replied, acting like she didn't see the obvious meaning behind the question.

"You know what I mean," he said sternly.

She sighed and nodded. "Yeah. We have. We've, um," she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, "We've made love a couple of times."

"You made love to my daughter?" Greg asked slowly.

Troy nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"Are you just deranged, Gabriella? You allowed this…thing to violate you and brand you into marriage?" Greg exclaimed.

Gabriela's eyes were wide. "Marriage? What are you talking about?"

"Well, I assume you were a virgin, right?" Greg asked bluntly.

"Of course. What do you think I am? A whore?" she exclaimed.

"Well, that's my point. He's got your virginity and you should be married now."

"Carl's slept with more than one girl and you didn't basically plan his wedding for him," she argued back.

"Yes, but you're my daughter. It's completely different," he exclaimed.

She folded her arms and frowned. "Daddy, Troy and I made love because we love each other," she whispered.

"You don't know what love is," he complained.

She looked up at him, her eyes flashing dangerously. Troy touched her hand, wanting her to calm down before things were said that he was positive she'd regret. The last time he'd seen her so angry was at the teen club when she'd been angry at him. She turned to face him and seemed to get his message. She replied with a silent nod and took a deep breath. She turned back to Greg and shrugged. "I don't know what you feel love is. I don't know. I didn't know what to expect love to be like. I just…didn't. But, this feeling that Troy gives me is amazing. I never want it to stop. He makes me feel safe and protected. I don't know about everyone else but I think being in love means making sure someone's happy. And Troy always asks me if I'm happy. Daddy, I promise we love each other."

Greg shook his head. "No. You're eighteen. How could you be so careless?"

"I'm not pregnant!" she exclaimed. "I'm not that stupid."

"But you had sex with him. That's taking a risk. What about your future? What about U of A? What about basketball?" he exclaimed. His face suddenly drained of colour and glared, switching the direction of it between Troy and Gabriella. "You did it in this house, didn't you?"

The heat rose in Gabriella's face. "Daddy!"

"Gabriella Anna Maria Juanita Costa-Brava Montez, you will tell me right now," Greg demanded.

Gabriella cringed. "Why does my name have to be so long?" she whined. She took a deep breath and nodded reluctantly. "We made love here. Where else could we? In a field?"

Greg glared at Troy. "You took my daughter's virginity…_in my house_?"

Troy's eyes grew wide and quickly remembered his promise to his girlfriend. He turned to face her and took in her beauty, ignoring the evident fear and embarrassment which had come from her father's persistent questions. He turned back to Greg and nodded. "Yes, Sir. I did. I made love to her. But, it was her choice. I never brought it up."

"Why? So you can add her to the long list of girls you've slept with?" Greg accused.

"No, Sir. Actually, I've only slept with one other girl – a past girlfriend. She wasn't a one night stand and neither was Gabriella. I made love to her because she makes my life better. Ever since we met I just kept thinking how happy she made me." By the end of his speech, Gabriella had curled into his loving embrace, a few tears trickling over her tanned cheeks.

"You'll stay away from my daughter and my sons. You'll stay away and you'll never step foot into this house ever again." His gaze became harsher as he spoke.

Gabriella immediately leapt to her feet. "Daddy, you can't do that. I told you: I love him."

Troy joined her, his fingers snaking together with hers. "Baby, calm down."

"I won't calm down!" she yelled. "He can't stop you from seeing me. I won't let him. I love you and need you and," she turned to Greg and glared as she continued, "you can't tell me what to do anymore. I'm going to college in September. I'm eighteen. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"You'll stop seeing him and concentrate on your studies. He's not welcome in this house or family." Greg's voice was stern and steady, his eyes locked on his daughter's.

An embarrassing whimper escaped Gabriella's lips as she looked frantically between her father and her boyfriend. She suddenly glared at Greg and released a scream. "Well, it's a good job I'm leaving next week, isn't it? I was planning on coming back but I don't want to now."

Greg's face drained of colour at Gabriella's words. Troy soon realised that the thought of his only daughter leaving Albuquerque was honestly scaring him. "Gabby, Princess, what are you talking about?"

Gabriella's skin took on the same shade as Greg's as she turned to Troy, looking like a bird in the presence of a cat. "Troy, tell me I didn't."

Troy brought her into his arms, a hand resting gently on the back of her head. "I'm here, baby. I promise."

She nodded fearfully as she turned in his arms to face her father. Her hands rested on his forearms, wanting as much strength as she could gather from his embrace. She looked towards Maria and then turned back to Greg. "I'm leaving after the championship."

"What? Am I missing something? What about graduation?" he asked quietly.

Gabriella took a deep breath. Troy's hand rubbed soothing circles on her stomach as he whispered in her ear, "It's time. You gotta tell him."

Gabriella nodded and felt a tear drip down her cheek. "Daddy, I love you. And I didn't mean to lie to you. About Troy or about…Stanford."

"Stanford? What about Stanford?" Greg demanded.

Gabriella flinched and felt Troy tighten his grip on her. "I got accepted into Stanford and they want me to go next week for their freshmen's honour programme. It's for three weeks until graduation."

"But, U of A…your scholarship!"

Gabriella shrugged. "A scholarship would be great. I'd love it. You know, not having to worry about tuition or anything. But, I don't want to go to U of A. I've wanted to go to Stanford since Mom told me she went there. I'm really sorry. U of A is a great college for Carl but not for me."

Greg turned to Maria. "You knew?"

"It was her choice to accept and her choice to tell you," Maria said softly.

Greg turned back to Gabriella, any trace of anger gone. "Princess, really?"

"I wanted to be a Redhawk, I promise. When I was little and saw Danny on that court, it looked so cool. The lights and the crowds…But, remember when I broke my arm when I was six? Ever since then, I've wanted to be a doctor and go to Stanford. I am so sorry, Daddy." She released another whimper and lifted a hand to her mouth.

Greg frowned at her, disappointment evident. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I guess you were so proud that I got in on a scholarship and you brought the Dean around and it was driving me crazy. I love basketball but I don't want it to run my life."

Greg's eyes lowered to the ground and he sighed. "I thought I knew my daughter."

"Ha!" Jack exclaimed.

"What?" Greg asked, turning to him, his glare appearing on his face once more.

"You see, my son tells me everything," Jack gloated, pointing proudly to Troy.

"Then why didn't he tell you he's sleeping with my daughter?" Greg shot back.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Well, that's obvious. I was talking about my boy's future." Jack reached over and brought Troy closer to him, causing Troy to let go of Gabriella. "He tells me his dreams and he's going to U of A and be a proud Redhawk."

Gabriella folded her arms and raised her eyebrows. "Troy, please…"

Troy immediately moved back over to her, his arms holding her tightly to his body. "I know. One second. Let me hold you."

Gabriella sniffed back her tears as she turned her head and saw Greg staring at them. The look in his eyes was something she couldn't fathom. "It's okay," she whispered.

He lifted his head and cupped her face. "I gotta do it, right?"

"They might as well know. They know about us." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "And I'm here. I promise."

He held her hand tightly and turned to Jack. "Dad, I'm not going to U of A this fall. I don't want to go there. I think the same thing happened to Brie but, the more you pushed me into it, the more I looked into other colleges."

Jack suddenly laughed. "That's a good one, Troy. But, seriously, tell Montez that we always talk about your future."

Troy groaned. "No, Dad. _You_ talk to _me_ about my future. You just assumed that I want to continue with basketball and I do but…"

"I don't understand." He turned to Greg when he started laughing. "Stop enjoying this." He turned back to his son and frowned. "Where are you going to college, then?"

"Berkeley. The University of California offers me basketball and theatre. Same tuition as U of A except I need to pay for dorms and stuff. But, it's a really great school with a great sports department. I'm even going to be kicking some Redhawk butt in November," he said softly. "Dad, I'm sorry, okay? You lived your Redhawk dream, and then became a teacher but it's not for me. I want to go into theatre."

Jack frowned. "Why?"

"It's something I enjoy other than basketball. I mean, basketball is great but when I can guarantee I'll make a basket every time-" He saw Jack go to speak and he continued. "Except when Gabriella broke up with me, okay? That's why I was getting bloody depressed and why I couldn't make a basket. It gets boring after a while."

Gabriella squeezed his hand. "Troy?"

He turned to her. "What?"

She ran her free hand through her hair. "I need to go." She reached up to wipe the corners of her eyes. "I can't be in the room anymore. I've hurt too many people. I'm sorry." She kissed his cheek and released a sob as she fled the room, her hurried footsteps echoing through the large house.

Troy turned back to the four adults facing him. "This is awkward." He sank back onto the couch and ran his hands over his face.


	20. A place of escape

**A/N: We hope you like it. I didn't really like the ending but oh well.**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Maria and Lucille had walked out of the room after Gabriella had run upstairs; Troy eventually deciding it was probably best he go check on his girlfriend knowing how upset she was while leaving the two fathers who continued to dispute their children's actions.

Placing a cup of coffee down in front of Lucille, Maria sighed. This whole thing was a mess and worst thing was that it was their children that were hurting after getting caught in the crossfire of an ugly ongoing feud between two men. "I think we should try and figure out this mess maturely, don't you think?"

Lucille smiled knowing that it was what would be best for Troy and Gabriella. "I don't think we're going to get very far if we leave it up to our husbands so, yeah, I think we should."

"I want you to know that I don't hate your son or any of you. Troy is a wonderful young man and all I know is he makes my Gabriella happy." Maria started, breaking the uneasiness in the room.

"Well I may not be able to comment personally on Gabriella as I don't know her but I do know how Troy has changed over the last few weeks for the better and if it is all down to Gabriella then I certainly hold no grudges against her either. I think we're agreed then that neither of us will force the two to separate?"

Maria nodded. "Definitely. I'm sure you know as well as I do you can't change who you fall in love with, even if it goes against what you've been brought up to believe."

"Exactly. This silly feud has gone on far too long and all because our husbands are both too stubborn to call a truce. It pains me to think that my own son couldn't tell us something as important as he had fallen in love. I always hoped that no matter what happened, my child would feel he could come to both me or his father to talk about whatever, knowing we would back him one hundred per cent. It almost feels as though I failed in my job as a mother." Lucille looked away in regret as she felt a hand grip her own.

Understanding where the fellow mother was coming from, the Latino woman gave her a reassuring smile. "I don't think Troy would want you blaming yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. I know it's hard but trust me; it was even harder knowing and not being able to do anything about it. I don't think I would have even found out about them had Gabriella not fallen in the lake and needed rescuing. I can promise you though that I certainly did not know anything else that was going on between them physically though."

"Don't remind me. It's bad enough having this stress let alone now having the worry of him being that intimate with someone and hoping he is being safe. I don't think I could cope being a grandma this young."

The two women laughed. "Tell me about it. Look, I know Greg probably won't be happy about me doing this but how about you, Jack and Troy stay for dinner and hopefully we can talk about this more in a more civil manner?"

Thinking about it for a few minutes, the constant raised voices coming from the room next door soon made up Lucille's mind. "I think that would be nice. Thank you."

"Great. Well I'll just go let the men know what we're doing. Would you mind just checking on Gabriella because I'm worried about her?"

Standing up, the two smiled. "Sure." Maria instructed her where to go while heading for the living room and bracing herself for the undoubtedly angry reaction she would get from her husband over preparing a meal for people like the Bolton's.

***

Lucille knocked on the door to the Gabriella's room and heard a faint sniffle followed by a 'come in'.

"Hey, how you guys doing?"

Troy smiled at his mom from his position next to Gabriella who lay tightly wrapped in his arms, her tear stained face still obvious and her eyes showing hurt but at the same time love. It made Lucille's heart swell at the sight of her little boy so grown up and so depended upon by another person. "We're ok. What's happening downstairs?"

"Maria and I have left them alone because if they want to bicker over something like this then let them but we're not getting involved anymore. We are more just interested in making sure that you guys are ok and finding a solution so that you guys are happy first and foremost. You ok, Gabriella?"

Gabriella looked at Troy's mom as she sat up slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry about and I'm sure your mom agrees and your father will too, once he's calmed down."

"Everything's just a mess because of me. I've lied, I've hurt them and I've disappointed them because I broke their rules." The tears soon started flowing freely again as Troy held her tighter and Lucille looked on regretful.

"I promise you, sweetheart, we'll sort everything out and nothing that is said or done will break you two apart on purpose. Plus, if Troy has you then I know I haven't got to worry about him falling behind if he follows you seriously to California for Uni because he is spending more time socializing than working." Troy groaned as Gabriella let out a small laugh. "See, that's what we want to see. So, Troy, don't you think it would be a good idea to introduce your mother to your girlfriend officially?"

The couple smiled as they sat up and leaned against the headboard. "Mom, meet my girlfriend and love of my life, Gabriella Montez. Gabriella, meet my mom."

Gabriella blushed slightly as she shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs Bolton."

"It's nice to meet the girl making my son happy too. By the way, call me Lucille, Mrs Bolton is far too official and makes me feel old."

"That's because you are old, mom."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes and smacked his chest while Lucille got him on the leg. "Don't be cheeky, young man. Remember you need me on your side."

Troy moved forward and wrapped his arms around his mom and Gabriella shook her head at his creeping. "Sorry momma, you know I love you really."

***

Everything was so awkward. The whole air was filled with tension that could be cut with a knife it was so thick. Lucille and Maria had been making the odd comment and Greg and Jack quick snipes at each other but Troy and Gabriella remained silent. Each occupier of the table had a plate of chicken in front of them and the table was covered with bowls of vegetables. The one thing that didn't change as the time passed was Gabriella's grip on Troy's hand underneath the table, not wanting to rub it in their parents' faces. Jack and Greg were situated at the opposite ends of the table and Lucille and Maria next to each other and their husbands while opposite their respective child. Maria had called up Gabriella's brothers and Zeke to tell them that it was best they didn't come home for a while and she would call when they could because they had some issues to deal with still. Carl had made his mom promise though that if Gabriella needed him she would call him ASAP.

"This is ridiculous. Will someone please say something?!" Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand letting her know it was ok because he knew how much this was getting to her.

"You want me to say something else, fine. It's been officially decided that unless you agree to not see that filth anymore then you will not be allowed to go to Stanford, period." Gabriella gasped as Maria shook her head at her husband.

"Dad, you have no control over me and I'm sorry but I'm not giving Stanford or Troy up, no matter what you try and make me do."

The table fell silent once again as Gabriella glared at her dad. Everyone had finished eating by now but nothing was being said. Lucille was giving Jack a warning look not to start anything again even after Greg had spoke. Lucille reached for the bowl of mushrooms and scooped some onto her plate. "Gabriella?" She gestured to the bowl.

Troy gasped and snatched the bowl from his mother. "Brie can't have any. She's very allergic to mushrooms." He set the bowl down and breathed out deeply. "Sorry, baby, my mom didn't know."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Calm down. I didn't touch any."

Troy sighed. "I know."

Greg eyed Troy carefully. "How did you know about my daughter's allergy?"

Gabriella sighed. "I told him. How else?"

Greg pushed his potatoes around his place. "I don't know."

Jack barely touched his food. "Well, my boy isn't allergic to anything."

"Dad!" Troy exclaimed. "It's not Brie's fault. She didn't ask to have an allergy."

Lucille sighed and placed her knife and fork down, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I think it's probably time we left. We all obviously need some time to think and calm down before we regret saying anything else. Thank you, Maria, for a lovely dinner. Greg."

Maria stood up and hugged Lucille while Jack just walked out the kitchen and Greg went out the back. "It was nice to finally meet someone who knows what it's like being involved in this feud but not being able to do anything."

As their mothers talked, Gabriella turned to Troy. "Do you have to go? I really could do with you with me."

Troy sighed as he rested his forehead against hers. "It's probably best. We both know that will just annoy your dad more. I'll call you later, I promise or if I can't, I'll sneak out to see you if I can. I love you."

"I love you, too. I'm sorry again about my dad."

"No worries. I'm sorry about mine, too. Come on, Blitzen."

The two dogs, who had been curled up together, looked up sadly knowing they had to separate, the same look in their eyes as their owners' eyes. Gabriella softly stroked both dogs behind the ear. "Don't worry; you'll see each other soon."

"Baby, look at me," Troy ordered softly.

Gabriella looked up at him, her mocha eyes shining with tears. "What?"

"No matter what happens, nothing will stop me from loving you. I love you," he whispered.

She leaned up and kissed him deeply, tears coursing down her cheeks. She pulled back, whimpering softly under her breath. "I love you, too. I'll never love anybody else." She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a necklace. Dangling from the chain was a silver basketball with 'Knights' engraved on it. "I got you this. I want you to have a part of me wherever you go." She reached behind his neck and clasped it securely.

He smiled down at her. "I love it."

She smiled bravely and kissed him one last time. "I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Of course you will. I promise." He attached the leash to Blitzen's collar. He rested a hand on Gabriella's neck and kissed her forehead. "Talk to your dad. Or try to. You owe him that much."

She nodded. "I know. I'm going to let him cool down though. He's never been angry at me before. I feel like I let him down. Talk to your dad, too."

"I promise I will. I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered as his hand fell from her neck and he stepped away.

"Come on, Blitzen. We need to go home." Troy looked down as Blitzen nudged Daisy's neck one last time. They whined to each other and looked up pitifully at their owners.

Gabriella sniffed and knelt down, hugging Daisy. "It'll be okay, baby. I promise." She looked up at Troy. "Do you think it would be okay with your parents if Daisy went with Blitzen?"

Troy frowned. "Are you sure?"

She nodded as she straightened up. "Yeah. They need each other just like I need you. Or Blitzen can stay here. I don't mind."

"I think it's safer for Blitzen if Daisy comes to mine. I don't want him to go through a castration without being at the vets'." He raised his eyebrows.

She giggled and reached for Daisy's leach, attaching it to her collar. "Bye, Daisy. I love you." She handed the leash over to Troy. "She has her dinner at six thirty. Leave it down for half an hour and then bring it back up again whether she eats it or not. She might not because I'm not there but if that's the case, she'll definitely eat her breakfast. She'll wake up at about eleven thirty and have a drink and then go back to sleep."

Troy nodded. "Okay. I got it."

She kissed him softly. "Bye, Troy."

"Bye, Brie," he said sadly before he followed his mother through the Montez house.

Gabriella rubbed her arms and sat down at the dining table again. "I can't wait to leave."

"Yeah, you'll probably elope with that scumbag," Greg muttered as he walked back in.

Gabriella ran a hand through her hair as she groaned. "Dad, shut up for once and listen to me." She stood up and felt tears roll down her cheeks. "I might take you up on that if it means not having to listen to you insult Troy every five seconds." She let out a sob before she turned around and ran up to her room.

* * *

An hour since she'd been in her room, she was getting worried. Troy hadn't called her or snuck into her bedroom. She hadn't left her room since she'd run away from Greg but knew that Carl, Zeke and Landon were back. She kept hearing the rhythmic bounce of the basketball outside and wondered what they thought of her relationship with Troy. Troy had said that Carl loved her and was giving him a chance but she didn't know what to say about Landon or her other brothers.

She had Sunday and then she'd have to face West High. She was positive that everyone would know by Monday and then harsh comments would follow. It was inevitable. But, strangely enough, she wasn't scared. She knew Sharpay was by her side and it didn't matter if Carl agreed with her or not, she knew that he wouldn't let anybody hurt her.

She suddenly sat up and climbed out of bed. She locked her bedroom door and then pulled on some sneakers. She grabbed a key from her desk and stowed it safely in her pocket. She opened her balcony doors and leaned over the railing. "Carl!" she hissed.

Carl slowly stepped towards her balcony and frowned. "You okay, Bells?"

She nodded and began to climb down her tree. "Can you please not tell Mom or Dad that I'm gone?"

Zeke and Landon jogged over. "What's up?" Zeke asked.

"I don't care what you say about him, I love him and I'm worried. He hasn't called me since he left. Please don't try to stop me. You can kill me later but let me go and don't tell Mom and Dad," she pleaded.

"You're serious about him, aren't you?" Landon asked quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah, I am. And your support would really mean a lot to me."

"Just let us know if he hurts you, okay?" Zeke asked. "I can't say any of us are particularly thrilled of your affair but we love you and we won't hurt you and won't let anyone else hurt you, either."

Landon and Carl nodded in agreement. "We'll be with you all the way. And well done on getting into Stanford. Carl told us," Landon said softly.

Gabriella smiled softly as she hugged the three of them. "Thank you so much, guys. I don't want you to lie to Mom and Dad but you're going to have to. I need to see Troy."

"Go. Have fun. Don't get pregnant," Landon warned.

She rolled her eyes. "I promise we're being safe." She ran through the yard and around the house and took off down the street. Her calf muscles were beginning to burn by the time she reached Troy's street but she didn't slow down. Her heart ached to know that Troy was okay and all she had in mind was that he loved her.

She reached his house – she knew where he lived from numerous times that her brothers had pulled a prank on him – and listened carefully for if he was practicing basketball with Jack. Silence. She snuck around the side of the house and into the back yard. She found that it was similar to her own: basketball court, lawns, flower beds and even a tree next to a balcony. She looked up and saw a glimpse of a John Salley poster taped to the ceiling. Troy's room. She began ascending the tree, thankful for all of the years she'd spent with her brothers who had taught her how to climb a tree without falling. She hauled herself over the railing and landed with a muffled thump. She pushed the balcony door open and shut it behind her. She saw Daisy and Blitzen sleeping together in the corner and she giggled quietly. She moved her eyes to Troy's bed to see him lying on his back, sleeping. She slipped her shoes off and padded over to the bed. She climbed onto it and lay down next to him on her side. Troy wriggled slightly and then remained still.

She sighed. The necklace she had given him only a couple of hours before was still around his neck and she smiled to herself. He was hers. There wasn't anything anybody could do about it. He looked so handsome, lying there before her, sleeping. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, not bothering to wake him up. She climbed over him, one knee each side of his hips and her hands ran over his well sculptured chest.

Moments later, moans began to vibrate against her lips and she smiled as she opened her mouth, wanting to be as close to him as possible. His tongue danced with hers and his arms wound tightly around her waist. His kisses were sloppy with tiredness and he eventually pulled back for air. She continued to kiss his jaw line and neck. "Not that I'm complaining, babe," he mumbled breathlessly, "but, what's this about?"

She giggled against his skin and moved back up to his line of vision. "I needed to see you. You didn't call or come back and I was worried."

He suddenly smirked up at her. "You snuck out, didn't you?"

She blushed and buried her face into his neck. "Stop laughing."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I'm grounded. That's why I couldn't call you."

Gabriella lifted her head and her smile faded. "Grounded? No phone? You can't leave, can you?"

He shook his head. "No. I can't. I wanted to talk to you and I was going to e-mail but my dad took my cell phone and laptop away. I'm sorry."

She kissed him chastely and sighed as she pulled back. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. As long as you're okay," she said quietly. She began to climb off of him and walked back over to pull her sneakers on.

"Babe, where are you going?" Troy asked as he rushed over and held her from behind.

She turned in his arms and shrugged. "Home. I've got you into enough trouble. I was going to ask if you wanted to go somewhere that was completely isolated and no one would be there and we could be alone together. But, it doesn't matter. I should go."

"What place?" he asked quietly.

"Sharpay's house is enormous. In her yard, there's this small building. It's like a really posh shed that was decorated. It's got a bed and everything. When Shar and I met, she said it could be mine so that if my brothers were getting too annoying, I could go there and be by myself. It's mine. I even gave her some money for it. She wouldn't let me give her more than two hundred bucks, though. But, that's it. It's not much," she explained.

"And we'd be alone," he asked smoothly, bringing her more snugly against his body.

She nodded. "It's at the bottom the yard so it's nowhere near her house."

Troy let go of her and went over to his closet. He pulled on some sneakers and went back over to her. "My dad doesn't trust me at all now so it's not going to make things any worse, is it?"

She shrugged. "If you're sure…"

He kissed her cheek and winked. "Of course. Besides, we've only got a week. No matter what our parents say, we need to make the most of our time. Come on. I want to see this place."

Gabriella led the way down the tree and around his house. She reached for his hand and bit her lip as they began walking the darkening streets. She felt guilt wash over her and she fought herself not to cry. The last thing she ever wanted was to hurt Troy but she'd already made up her mind. She'd hurt so many people and all she'd ever wanted was for Greg to be proud of her, to support her. And he didn't. She knew that she'd told Sharpay that she'd choose Troy any day, but now that that day was here, she couldn't.

Troy squeezed her hand. "You okay? You're quiet."

She nodded. "Of course I am. Why'd you ask that?"

He frowned. "No reason." He looked up and his eyes went wide. "This is Shar's house?"

Gabriella giggled at his expression and nodded. "Yeah. It is. Her parents used to work on Broadway before she and Ry were born. They knew they wanted their kids to grow up well and so they live here."

"It's really nice…and big," he gasped.

"You get used to it." She began pulling Troy around to the back of the house and across the yard. She pulled the key out of her pocket and unlocked the door of the small white building that was partially hidden by trees. She opened the door and gestured to it. "This is it."

Troy picked her up like a bride and carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind him. "I love you so much."

She nodded as he walked over to the bed which was situated in the middle of the room and laid her down on the soft mattress. Tears gathered in her eyes and she smiled weakly at him. "I love you, too. I promise."

He crawled on top of her and smiled as he pulled her shirt over her head. "You're so beautiful. I can't believe you're mine." He pulled his own shirt over his head and threw it to the side. "I'm never letting you go."

"Make love to me," she whispered as she pulled him back to her.


	21. A Talk with Troy

**A/N: You guys are officially going to hate me, I just know it. But, we hope you keep reading :) McFly were awesome last night!!! They're so hot. Anyway, enjoy :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Gabriella shut the front door behind her and finally burst into tears. She slid down so she was sitting on the floor with her back against the door and she cried into her knees. She'd actually done it. She just hoped that everything would work out because at the moment, she felt like shit. She wanted to run back there and beg for forgiveness but her legs wouldn't let her stand up. "Oh, god, I'm an idiot!" she cried.

"Bells?" Carl asked through a yawn.

Gabriella lifted her head to see Carl standing at the bottom of the stairs in just a pair of pyjama bottoms. "Carl?"

Carl immediately woke up and crouched down. "Have you only just come back?"

Gabriella finally stood up and frowned as Carl followed her into the kitchen. "Yeah. Don't say a word." She opened the freezer and took out a tub of Ben and Jerry's fudge brownie ice cream.

"Ice cream for breakfast?" he asked worriedly as she sat at the island after getting a spoon.

She nodded and ate a mouthful. "Yeah. I feel like crap and this isn't working."

"Why do you feel so bad?" Carl asked as he sat next to her.

"I acted like a slut. A cheap, filthy slut. I'm no better than a cheerleader," she mumbled, eating more ice cream.

"Care to elaborate? I know you. You'd never act like a slut. Tell me what's wrong. I won't tell anybody," he said softly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I want you to listen to me. Don't overreact, okay? Last night, I took Troy to the cabin at Shar's place. We made love. Actually, we made love a lot. God, I'm so tired. This morning, I woke up and got dressed while he was still asleep. He woke up while I was getting my stuff together…and I broke up with him," she whispered, stabbing the ice cream in front of her.

"Why? I thought you loved him!" Carl exclaimed.

"I did. I mean, I do. A lot. But, I've hurt too many people because of it. I've always wanted Dad to be there for me and to be proud of me and to support me. And he didn't. I hurt him. And, besides, I'd miss Troy too much while I'm at Stanford. It's much better this way. Troy's mad at me, I can try to get Dad to forgive me and…" She trailed off, scooping ice cream onto her spoon.

"And what about you?" he asked softly.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'll never fall in love with someone else. So, I guess I'll be a doctor and a hermit."

"Part hermit. I mean, you'll be with some people, just not a guy. You did break up with him, though, right? He didn't break up with you…"

She giggled weakly. "I broke up with him, I promise. Is Mom and Dad up?"

Carl shook his head. "No. I've been worried about you all night and that's why I heard you come in."

She smiled slightly. "I bloody hope Dad lets me go to Stanford, otherwise, I've just been an idiot and thrown away everything that made me happy. I told Shar that I'd always choose Troy over my family. But, when it came to it, I couldn't because I love Dad so much. He's a freaking idiot when it comes to U of A and basketball but, I love him. I want him to be proud of me."

"Can I ask a question?"

She nodded. "Sure."

"You are being safe with Troy, aren't you? You know, with protection." Carl raised his eyebrows.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. We are. I promise."

"Good. I don't want my baby sis getting knocked up too early," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Love you."

He smiled. "You know, we may be the only brother and sister to say that to each other and mean it. Love you, too. Would you like me to be there when you tell Dad?"

"When you tell Dad what?" a voice asked from behind them.

The two twins turned around to find Maria and Greg stood in the doorway in their robes. "Daddy?" Gabriella stood up and rushed over to hug him.

"Are you okay, princess?" Greg asked slowly. "You're not in your pyjamas."

Gabriella sighed. "Can I please talk to you? In your office, maybe? I need to tell you something."

Greg took his daughter's hand and led her into the hallway and into his office. They sat down on the small two-seater leather couch and he sighed. "What's up, mi hija?"

She wiped her eyes and sighed. "Daddy, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I never wanted to go against what you've taught me. But, I love Troy so much and I couldn't help it. I do love you so much and all I've ever wanted is for you to be proud of me and to support me."

"Sweetheart-" Greg started.

"No, Dad, let me finish. And I've thought about what you said. About how I had to choose between Stanford and Troy. I'm not saying Stanford is more important because it isn't. Not in a million years. But, I don't want to lose you over him. I love Troy with all of my heart but I'm your little girl. I'll always love you. I'll always come to you if I fall off of my bike. I'll always curl up on the couch with you to eat ice cream together. And you're the number one guy in my life," she said softly.

"What are you saying?" he asked quietly.

Gabriella took a deep breath. "Last night, I made love to Troy. And this morning, I broke up with him. Not just for you. But, because I don't think I can be away from him. So, I made him mad and hopefully it'll be easier to cope. So, now, I don't want you to worry. I won't be tainted by that 'scumbag' anymore." She got to her feet and headed to the door.

"Sweetheart," Greg started as he stood up.

Gabriella turned to him. "Daddy, I'm really tired and I want to have a shower. Then, I'm going to start packing for Stanford."

"No, princess, can I tell you something?" he asked quietly.

She nodded wearily. "Yeah. Of course."

Greg took a deep breath. "I am proud of you. If only because you went after your dream. That means more to me than any scholarship. You'll be a great doctor." He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around his only daughter.

Gabriella felt tears leak from the corners of her eyes. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too. Go and rest up. You look tired," he commented. He, then, realised something. "Oh, Gabby, you snuck out."

She nodded guiltily. "Yeah. I did. I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It's done. Go and rest."

"Can you ask Carl to go and get Daisy from Troy's, please? I know Troy won't want to talk to me," she mumbled.

"Don't worry. You'll have Daisy back soon, I promise," he whispered before she left his office.

Greg took a deep breath and walked back through the hallway to the kitchen. He saw that Zeke and Landon were both now awake and were all eating pancakes. Maria was stood at the oven and she turned to him. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "She's going to rest for a while. Carl, son, could you go and get Daisy back from Troy's as soon as you're ready?"

Carl nodded. "I'll go and get dressed now. Bella will want Daisy as soon as possible. Thanks for the breakfast, Mom." He kissed Maria's cheek as he placed his plate and cutlery in the sink.

* * *

Carl walked nervously up the garden path and knocked on the door. This was alien territory. He'd never set foot in East Albuquerque other than to prank the Wildcats or to crash a party or something along those lines. And now, he had just knocked on Bolton's door to practically call a truce. He had to admit, to himself and Gabriella, for the short time he'd talked to Troy after their relationship had been revealed, he'd seemed almost nice. It was an almost. He was certainly serious about Gabriella and Carl admired him for that.

The door suddenly opened and he jumped when he saw Lucille standing there in her robe. "Oh," he started in slight embarrassment, "hi Mrs Bolton."

She wrapped her robe tighter around her body. "Hi…Carl, right?"

Carl nodded. "Yeah. That's me. Listen, not to be rude or anything but, is Troy here?"

Lucille frowned. "Why?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to beat him up, I promise. I came here to get Daisy. I would like to talk to him, too, though," Carl replied quietly.

"Come in," Lucille whispered as she opened the door further. As soon as Carl was inside, she shut the door. "Troy came home about an hour ago and didn't say a word to me. He's in his room."

Carl nodded appreciatively. "I apologise for coming here so early. My sister wants her dog back."

Lucille nodded with understanding. "Of course. Troy's room is upstairs, first door on the left. I beg you, no matter how much you hate my son, please wake him up gently if he's asleep. He gets super grumpy if he's woken up."

Carl cracked a smile. "It's called being a teenage boy. May I ask where your husband is?"

"He's at his parents. My father-in-law is very sick," she whispered, "and he said he needed to get away for a while."

The young boy nodded. "I didn't want him to attack me or anything. Thank you so much, Mrs Bolton." He smiled politely as he started up the stairs. He saw Troy's bedroom door which had a large picture of a basketball stuck on it with a fourteen painted neatly in the centre. He knocked rhythmically and then stepped back.

"Go away. I'm not getting up," Troy grumbled.

Carl sighed. "Troy, dude, open the damn door!"

"Carl?"

"Yeah, it's me," Carl replied.

"Oh. Well, in that case…go away!" Troy exclaimed.

Carl tried the door handle and rolled his eyes as he pushed the door open. "Dude, word of advice: if you don't want people to walk in, lock your door!"

Troy sat up and glared. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get Daisy," he explained. He looked over to the two dogs and Blitzen got to his feet, growling protectively. Daisy got to her feet and yawned before she padded over to sit at Carl's feet, her tail wagging. "Hey, Daisy. Did you enjoy your sleepover?" He turned back to Troy and sighed. "So, how are you?"

Troy ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I'll tell you when I know. But, I do know that today is the worst day in my life."

Carl sat next to him on the bed. "She told me what happened."

Troy nodded glumly. "Yeah."

"Can I ask a question? Why didn't you run after her and fight for her?" Carl asked.

"I don't know. I wanted to. But, she said she never wanted to see me again. She didn't say why. I don't know if I did something to hurt her or if it's to do with your dad…I wish I knew what was going through her head," he muttered.

"She doesn't want to hold you back," Carl explained. "Well, that's part of it."

"Holding me back? What? My grades haven't been better since we met," Troy exclaimed.

"I was talking about basketball and the theatre. And she wants Dad to forgive her. She didn't want to break it off with you. I'm kind of glad she found someone who wasn't simply looking for some status and loved her because she was Gabriella and only Gabriella. I'm glad she found you, no matter what your name is," Carl admitted softly.

"Well, now it's over and your dad doesn't have to worry about us being together. I mean, while she wants to be a doctor and save people, what do I want to do? Play basketball and go into theatre. Yes, I could be a big star and I'd use all of my money to treat Brie like the queen she deserves to be treated like. But, that's not going to save other people. Let's face it: I'm selfish when it comes to her and she's better off without me." Troy pulled the necklace out of his shirt and looked down at it.

"I beg to differ," Carl started, "for one thing: she felt more confident about going against what Dad wanted and went for Stanford and chased her dream. You know, when she told me, I felt so proud of her. I don't know whether it was because she got into Stanford early or because she went for her dream despite what her family would think." He sighed as he looked at Troy. "And if you support her and give her a confidence she's always lacked, you're great for her."

He shrugged. "Well, now, she can go to Stanford, meet a Californian man with movie star looks, be the best doctor in America and she'll never see me again."

"Whoa. Hold up. Californian man with movie star looks?" Carl asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Inside joke. Brie would find it funny," Troy muttered.

"How did it come about? I'm trying to find out as much about your relationship with my sister as possible." Carl ran a hand through his hair.

Troy let go of the necklace and looked over at him. "Please don't go into overprotective brother mode on me, please?"

Carl laughed but nodded. "Okay."

"Well, just over a week after the whole paint fiasco, Brie and I were back together. We were so strong simply because we'd admitted how our feelings weren't some crushes anymore." He sighed softly. "I'd got her to give me another chance by telling her that I love her. I also gave her a locket that she's worn everyday since I gave it to her. It's got my basketball number on the back and her birthstone on the front. I wanted to give her something that would blend right in. Anyway, I climbed up her tree and into her room and then Sharpay came around but whatever. Then she left and you called saying how your dad was taking you for burger and fries. She told you she was studying, right?"

"Gross! I don't want to know what she was studying," Carl proclaimed.

"Nothing happened that night, I swear. We just made out a little and she prefers that to happen if I'm shirtless. I did not just say that. Don't tell her I told you," Troy muttered. "And I joked, saying how I was insulted because I was something to study. She turned around and said that she either 'studied' me or studied a biology book, leaving no time to touch me and then she'd be off in California where, apparently, there are guys with movie star looks on every corner with no brothers stopping her. That's what it is." Troy rubbed his eyes, trying to discreetly wipe his tears away.

"What's the deal with Blitzen and Daisy?" Carl asked, looking over to where Daisy had laid down next to Blitzen who was licking her back.

"He's in love with her or something," Troy mumbled. "He'll be heartbroken when you leave with her."

"Dude, are you crying?" Carl asked quietly.

Troy nodded. "It's like I can feel myself getting depressed all the time."

"She gave you something to live for, didn't she? Like something worthwhile."

"Yeah. She did. It's not that I don't enjoy life or that I'm moping around, wondering why I'm here. I just know there's more to life than basketball. And when I'm with your sister, I feel like I'm just…Troy. Not Troy the playmaker or Troy the basketball boy. When I'm with Brie, I'm whoever I want to be because I knew she'd support me no matter if it's a really stupid idea," he said softly.

Carl chuckled quietly. "I know what you mean. The only girl who truly knows me is Gabriella. She must have a gift to be able to treat people how they want to be treated. If I could find another girl like her, that would be amazing. All I've ever been is the Knights' captain and a Montez. Especially to girls. You're lucky."

"I _was_ lucky. Now, though, I feel like shit. Can you tell her that I hope that she follows her dream and finds a guy that's better than me and makes her happy, please, Carl?" Troy asked, his eyes shining with tears.

Carl nodded immediately, being reminded of how Gabriella had looked after the prank with the paint. He looked so vulnerable and helpless. "Of course I will. You're okay, you know. You're cool." He held his fist out to Troy.

Troy cracked the smallest of smiles and bumped his knuckles against Carl's. "That means a lot coming from you."

Carl glanced at the clock on Troy's bedside table and sighed as he got to his feet. He walked over to Troy's desk and got Daisy's leash. He returned to sit down on the bed. "If you get the chance to talk to Gabriella before she leaves, please try to get her back."

"But, what about your dad?" Troy asked.

Carl shrugged. "He'll get over it. As much as he doesn't want Bells to be 'tainted' by you, he doesn't want her to leave and never return. He wants her to be happy, just like I do. I'd better go. Good luck at the game."

"You, too. May the best team win," Troy nudged his shoulder jokingly. "I'm sorry for everything that me and my friends have done to you. You're kind of cool."

"Thanks. I'll leave you to rest. From what Bella told me, you need it." Carl raised his eyebrows.

Troy blushed lightly and nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't mean I will. All I keep hearing is how she doesn't want to see me ever again. All I keep seeing is…her."

"You do know she's leaving, right? In a week! Troy, dude, come on. Do something!" Carl exclaimed.

"Like what?" Troy muttered.

"I don't know. Anything. Anything that will get her to take you back. See you later," Carl whistled and Daisy regretfully stood up and walked over to him. He attached the leash to her collar and looked at Troy one more time before he stood up. "By the way, you have my permission to be with my sister. Hell, if she takes you back, you can marry her as long as you treat her right and make her happy."

Troy nodded. "Thank you. That's all I've wanted: for her to be happy."

Carl sighed and left the bedroom with Daisy, shutting the door behind him. One week. There was one week before the championship game. There was one week before Gabriella left for Stanford. One week before, he knew, people's emotions would go haywire. He would miss his twin immensely, Sharpay would be worried about Gabriella's well-being in California, Troy would be even more depressed and their fathers would most likely be confused as to what to do that was best for their children.

All of his life, Carl had watched his older brothers fight through the championships in their senior year and the victory had varied between the two schools over the years. It was only recently that the Wildcats had been on a winning streak. But, now, he couldn't wait for it to be over. And it was certainly not because he was looking forward to summer.

* * *

**A/N: Quick question: Who do you want to win the championships?**

**A) Wildcats**

**B) Knights**

**Sorry, those are the only two options. Please vote, I can't decide and neither can HSMandChelseaFCfan. HELP!!!  
**


	22. Apologies

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's been so long since I updated for this but I started this chapter a while back and kept writing for 'with me through adversity' instead lol.**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Troy sat at the island, staring mindlessly at the bowl of fruit in front of him. He was dreading it. He truly was. Not only did he have to face his school after being in a relationship with a _Knight_, but now he couldn't simply think 'I'll go and see her tonight, that'll get me through the day' like he had been doing everyday since he'd asked her out. But, now, he couldn't do that. He had barely woken up in time this morning. If it wasn't for the fact that Kelsi had been the one knocking on his door, he honestly would have just slept the entire day.

Despite how Carl had given him permission to marry Gabriella, he doubted he would. He wanted Gabriella back, but why would he force her into something she didn't want? He didn't believe she didn't love him anymore. But, he knew she didn't break up with him because something had changed between them. Of course, something had changed between them but nothing had changed how they felt about each other. He knew she'd broken up with him because she wanted her family, which he could fully understand. He knew that Jack was still angry at him and now he wanted his dad back. His dad that taught him how to ride a bike, how to shoot a basket, how to drive…and how to treat a girl properly.

He let his head fall down onto the counter. He knew he was at risk. Now that Gabriella wasn't with him, it was very likely he was going to get depressed again. Even Blitzen could tell how dejected he was. It was because he needed cheering up that Troy had allowed Blitzen to sleep on his bed and not in his basket in the corner of his bedroom.

"Troy," Kelsi whispered as she stirred the cereal that Lucille had put in front of her son but he had blatantly ignored.

"I'm not in the mood," he muttered.

Kelsi looked across at Lucille who was washing some dishes. "Please eat something," she pleaded, resting a hand on his back. "For me."

Troy lifted his head and sighed. Blitzen trotted over sleepily and rested his head on his owner's leg. He smiled slightly at Blitzen and then turned to Kelsi. "Kels, school is going to kill me. And then, Knights will find me and they'll kill me, too. And the worst part is that I actually thought this would work out simply because we love each other. Maybe loving someone isn't enough in this world."

Kelsi frowned. She'd never seen him in love before and she'd originally thought it was a good thing. He'd been so happy and confident and even though she'd never met Gabriella, only the brief meeting when the relationship was revealed to everyone, she loved her like a sister simply because she made Troy happy. But, now that she'd broken up with him, from what Troy told her, for her family, she didn't know what to think. "Do you honestly believe that?"

He shrugged. "I didn't think I did but…I'm not sure anymore."

"It'll work out," she said softly.

"Kels, how can you believe that? The girl I've been in love with since I met her broke up with me after we made love. She's everything to me. But, let's face it: she deserves better. She deserves more than I can ever give her," he exclaimed. "I'm not hungry, I don't want to eat."

"Troy, stop being stupid," Kelsi warned. "I get it that you love her but, then, why don't you just talk to her. Just…talk."

"I wish people would stop saying that," he growled, "it's not as simple as going around to her house and sitting down and having dinner. Kels, she has her brothers and her parents and they'll always be more important. I'm okay with that. I wouldn't have it any other way. But, she sacrificed her happiness for me. How do I compete with that?"

Kelsi wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Troy, look at me."

He lifted his head, her petite arms still around his torso. "What?"

"I don't think its Gabriella you need to convince. And from what you've said, it's not Carl, either. It's your dad and hers. Before you tackle Coach Montez, you need to talk to Jack," Kelsi advised.

"I agree," Lucille proclaimed as she dried her hands on a tea towel. "Just talk to him about it all."

"You didn't see the look he gave me when I said I'm not going to U of A," he mumbled.

"No," Lucille spoke slowly, "but I know my husband just like I know my son. I know that now that your father's back from your grandparents' and he's calmed down. Please talk to him."

Troy shrugged. "I guess. Kels, I'll drive to school. Chad won't pick me up."

"Troy, take an apple. I want you to eat something," Lucille said sternly, throwing the fruit to her son.

He caught it sulkily and took a bite just give his mother and best friend piece of mind that he had actually eaten something. "Happy?"

Lucille nodded with satisfaction and walked over to kiss Troy's forehead. "Sweetheart, I know you're dreading today but you have to face them sooner or later. By the way, I'm not becoming a grandma anytime soon, right?"

Troy shook his head. "No, you're not. God, if I had gotten Gabriella pregnant…" He took a deep breath, running his hand over his face which looked unnaturally pale. He sighed, looking between his best friend and his mother. "I know everyone would've killed me for being so stupid. But, I wouldn't look at it as carelessness or as a mistake. I'd look at it as a miracle. You know, being a father, it's never occurred to me. And if I was a father to Gabriella's child, I'd be amazed. You know? I'd love to be a father one day, maybe to Brie's children. But, not yet. I promise."

Kelsi kissed his cheek and tugged on his arm. "Troy, that's great that you want to be a dad but I don't want to be late."

Troy sighed as they both slid off of the island stools. "I feel sick. It sounds crazy but Gabriella is like a drug. I need her and I feel ill without her. I don't feel sick like I did when I was depressed. It's different. I can't explain it. I just know that she affects me in so many ways. Today's going to be rough. I know. And I promise I'll talk to Dad. Come on, Kels."

Kelsi smiled up at him and took his hand. "Come on. The sooner we're there, the sooner your torture is over."

He nodded and kissed Lucille's cheek. "Love you, Mom." He picked his backpack up and swung it onto his shoulder.

"Love you, too, honey," she whispered.

Kelsi nodded politely at the woman who was practically her second mother. "Bye, Lucille."

The two teenagers headed out of the house together, Kelsi's petite hand grasping his in a comforting manner. "Thanks for coming this morning, Kels."

She shrugged as she climbed into his pickup truck and he climbed into the driver's side. "Well, you're my best friend and I need you in this life in some form or another. You called me last night and told me about Carl and everything. I knew you wouldn't wake up without me or Gabriella being here and I guessed I was the likely option."

Troy turned the key in the ignition and nodded glumly. "I suppose." He pulled out of the driveway and turned onto the street, heading towards East High. "You're my best friend, too. I've always needed you. Especially in our freshman year and now."

She sighed. "Troy, I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I mean, I'll probably get bullied and I might lose my friends and my boyfriend but, to hell with it. To hell with Jase if he thinks I'm turning my back on you."

Troy paused at a stoplight and smiled across at her. "Thanks. I'm sorry if you do lose him. I know you really loved him and I know he loves you, too."

"Yes, I know and, like you won't love another girl, I won't love another guy. But, I can't lose you. I won't let that happen," she whispered.

"Hey, if you won't let that happen, then I won't either. You're my little sis." He pulled the truck to a halt and turned to her. "Thank you. So much."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I hope I'm the goddaughter of yours and Gabriella's children."

He bit his lip and turned away as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Sorry, Kels. That spot's taken."

"By who?" she cried indignantly as she unstrapped herself and threw Troy's backpack to him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed in shock. "Sharpay asked first. I'm sorry but she scares me sometimes."

Kelsi suddenly giggled and they both climbed out of Troy's truck. They met in front of the hood and Kelsi was trying desperately to muffle her giggles. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"What's funny?" he asked, pulling his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Nothing," she squeaked, pulling her hat over her face.

He snatched the hat away and looked down at her, amusement ghosting over his face. "Kelsi Annette Nielson!"

"Don't do that, I hate it," she whined.

"You hate your name, you should hear Gabriella's. It's Gabriella," he paused to close his eyes in concentration, "Anna Maria – I remembered that part because her mother's called Maria – Juanita…something, something Montez." He opened his eyes and shrugged. "She hates her full name. So, what's funny?"

"It's the thought of you being scared of Sharpay Evans," she giggled, grabbing her hat and hitting him with it.

"You know who she is?" he asked quietly as she placed her hat on her head.

She nodded. "I've been in the community theatre since I was six years old, Troy. First, I was in the chorus or extras. Now, I actually compose them, you know that. She's in the theatre, too, except she's always the lead. She's really talented. We're fairly good friends. I say 'fairly'. I mean it's mostly little kids or college kids so we were alright to talk to each other," she explained.

He nodded with understanding. "I get that. Are you ready?"

She shrugged. "Doesn't bother me. The only way the school will hate me is if I'm still friends with you. The question is: are you ready?"

He stuffed his car keys into his pocket and nodded. "As I'll ever be." They started towards the entrance of East High and pushed through the glass doors that were propped open. As always, the bulletin boards stood proud, advertising all of the clubs and extracurricular activities. Students were gathered around them, signing up and debating whether to be a cheerleader or a fashion designer.

They all stopped. And turned. And glared. Troy gulped and turned to Kelsi. He felt like they were in an alternative universe. Usually, he was the confident one, comforting Kelsi when she was nervous about tests or on the opening night of a musical. But, now, a look of determination appeared on Kelsi's face, something that would make Troy laugh because of Kelsi's height. However, he didn't. He couldn't laugh. The threatening glares he was receiving was overpowering all of his senses.

"Stop it!" Kelsi yelled. Everyone turned away. If it wasn't that she was usually shy and her sudden anger was way out of character, the school would still be glaring at Troy.

"Thanks, Kels," Troy whispered.

She grabbed his hand and shrugged. "It's fine. Come on." She pulled him through the crowded hallway and stopped at his locker.

He pulled his locker open and pulled his drama and math books from his bag. He threw his bag to the back of his locker and slammed it shut. "This is horrible. I've always been the 'Golden Boy' and I can't say I liked it. Getting stalked by girls is anything but good. But, I didn't want the whole school to hate. Now, Gabriella hates me, too."

"I'm sure she doesn't. I think that you should let this whole thing calm down and then try to talk to her. I'll bet that she wasn't thinking straight. Troy, think about it. She's one of the best known girls in Albuquerque just because she's a Montez and her dad's the Knights' coach and her brothers have been Knight legends. They all found out about you and her on a fluke. She'll be all confused and messed up and she won't be thinking straight. From what you've told me, her family is really important to her. The trust they had for her will have been broken. She'll want that back. Just give it time," Kelsi explained softly, leaning against the lockers. "You know how I risked so much today, sticking by you and all? That's because you're near enough my brother. If I lose Jase, okay. You're way more important."

Troy smiled slightly. "I get. Family's important. It just never occurred to me that she would give up so easily."

"Maybe she didn't," Kelsi spoke thoughtfully, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her folders in her arms.

"What do you mean? She broke it off with me. She said she never wanted to see me again!" he exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes. "Stop whining, okay? I get it that you love her and I think it's great and she sounds wonderful but if she means so much to you, go and fight for her."

"I can't," he muttered, looking at his feet.

"You're Troy Bolton, of course you can," she said in exasperation.

"But, her dad scares me. Don't give me that look! You didn't see the look he gave me when he found out we did it in his house. It was like he wanted to burn me at the stake and do a dance ritual." Troy shuddered.

"Dance ritual? Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," he swatted at her arm teasingly.

"We have visitors," she commented, looking behind Troy.

Troy turned to find Chad, Jason and Taylor heading towards them. He took a deep breath and sighed when they were in front of him. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Taylor asked unsurely.

"Can we talk to you, please?" Chad asked quietly.

Troy wasn't expecting that. He'd been expecting a punch or yells or something. He wasn't expecting his best friend to rid himself of his bustle and bravado. Chad looked like someone who'd…lost his best friend and wanted him back. That's exactly what Troy had feared. He knew that Kelsi was by his side his friendship with Kelsi was very different to the friendship he had with Chad. In fact, he needed all of his friends for different reasons. "Sure," he managed to get out.

He quickly glanced at Kelsi who shrugged but they followed their friends all the same. They entered the gym, a place that Gabriella was familiar with. Chad, Jason and Taylor turned to him. "You okay?" Chad asked.

Troy shrugged. "I guess."

"How'd you meet?" Taylor asked quietly.

"You mean Gabriella?" he asked as he headed over to the bleachers, sitting down. His friends sat beside him, Kelsi on one side, Taylor on the other. Chad sat next to Taylor and Jason sat next to Kelsi. "I took Blitzen to the park. He was driving me insane. He had so much energy. My mom let me take him to the park. This was when I was grounded. And we were playing with a Frisbee. Blitzen ran off. You know how he gets distracted. I followed him and we found Daisy, Gabriella's German shepherd. She was whining. It turned Gabriella was in the lake. But, she can't swim. I just dove in and brought her out. All I remember thinking was how she was so gorgeous. I saved her life that day.

"I didn't know she was a Montez until we were at the hospital. She was complaining of some pain in her head so I took her to the hospital where her mom works. We met each other a couple of times after that. One of them, I took her to see _Romeo and Juliet_ at the Glitz in Santa Fe. On that night, I asked her to be my girlfriend." He looked over at the other side of the gym, a smile pulling at his lips. "We were sat in my truck, a little way down from her house. She'd pulled on some jeans, a hoody and a baseball cap in case she got caught sneaking in. She looked so beautiful. When she said yes, I felt amazing. She was mine. No one else's.

"But, then, you guys were bugging me. You kept saying how I was never around and I got ticked off. So, I was an idiot and poured paint over her. She broke up with me. But, a week later, she actually took me back. I gave her a locket. It's got my number on the back. That was the first time I told her I love her. And when she said it back…I felt so peaceful because we were together. I had her and I told her I'd never let her go," his voice wavered as tears blurred his vision, "but I did. After everyone found out, she broke up with me. So, guys, you don't have to worry. I'm not marrying a Knight. No matter how much I want to," he mumbled.

"Hold up," Jason exclaimed. "You want to marry her?"

Troy shrugged. "Yeah. I do. I want to wake up every morning and find her there, sleeping beside me. I want to be able to introduce her as 'this is my wife, Gabriella'. But, I can't. She's leaving after the championship and I can't see her coming back."

"Where's she going?" Taylor asked softly.

"Stanford. She got to go there for three weeks for early orientation. It was alright when we were together. I was alright with it. I'd count the days until she'd come back so we could have a summer together. But now? I don't know. I mean, even when there's less than an hour between us, while I'm at Berkley, I won't be able to see her because she won't want to."

"Wait," Chad interrupted, "you're going to Berkley? Since when? What happened to U of A?"

Troy sighed, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. "Chad, U of A is great but not for me. I'm sorry. I know we talked about since we were little kids but it's not what I want. I want to study theatre, too. Berkeley has a great theatre and basketball programme. I'm going there this fall."

"You accepted to be with her, didn't you?" Taylor asked quietly.

Troy nodded. "Kind of. She was part of the reason. The other reason? I need to get out of here. This stupid feud is ridiculous. That's the whole reason Gabriella broke up with me."

"Does Berkeley play?" Chad whispered.

Troy looked to his friend and nodded. "Yeah. We're kicking some Redhawks in November."

"Game on, hoops." Chad grinned at him.

"Are you guys okay? I mean, I dated a Knight! I was expecting you guys to yell at me or something." Troy looked between his friends

Jason laughed. "Troy, we're your friends. As in, friends first, Wildcats second."

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Troy asked.

Kelsi sighed. "Yes, they're fine."

"What are you going to do?" Taylor asked. "To get her back, I mean?"

Troy shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think I can. I mean, I want to, obviously, but I'd have to talk to her dad. You guys only know him as the Knights' coach. I know him as Gabriella's dad and he's scary. Besides, before I even think about attempting to get her back, I promised my mom and Kelsi I'd talk to my dad."

"Are we invited to your wedding?" Chad asked.

Troy laughed as they bumped knuckles, knowing they were as good as they ever were. "Of course."

"Is she any good?" Jason asked absently.

"Excuse me!" Kelsi exclaimed. "Girlfriend right here."

"I'm curious," he told her, holding a hand up before turning back to Troy. "I'm not telling you that."

"Hmmmm…" Chad said thoughtfully. "I'll have to ask those Knights again. Remember that time that Montez wasn't involved and one of them said she was good in bed?" he asked Jason.

Troy leapt to his feet and swivelled to them. "What?" he cried. "They can't know that!"

"Why?" Chad asked suspiciously.

"Because," he started as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I was her first. They were obviously lying and they don't know that she's absolutely _excellent_ in bed, thank you very much."

Kelsi and Taylor looked at each other. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled you just told us that she's excellent in bed," Taylor commented.

Troy blushed softly. "Oh well. Just don't tell anyone. So, are we okay?"

"Well, we'll have to think about that," Chad start sarcastically as they all stood up and hugged Troy.

"Thanks guys," Troy said as they pulled back. "I need you guys now. The whole school is going to hate me."

* * *

Troy walked through the boys' changing room, ignoring the comments that the football team were sending him. So far, he had managed to explain everything to the basketball team. They had been unconvinced before Chad had threatened that wouldn't live to see the championship unless they backed Troy up. Now, Troy had their support. He shook the thoughts from his head and knocked on the open door of Jack's office.

Jack lifted his head from reading the newspaper and eating his lunch and saw his son standing nervously in the doorway. "Troy?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Can I come in?"

"Of course you can," Jack closed his newspaper and set it aside on the desk separating him from his son. "So, what's up?"

"I want to talk to you about the weekend," he started as he sat down in the chair opposite Jack.

Jack nodded slowly. "Okay…"

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to lie to you but, I knew how you'd react and I wasn't willing to expose Gabriella to that kind of humiliation and pain. You know, I felt so happy and peaceful when I was with her. I wanted to tell you. I wanted you to know that I'd fallen in love with the most amazing girl in the world. But, I couldn't let you find out. I didn't know what you'd do to me or her.

"And I suppose I owe you an apology for Berkeley, too," he mumbled. "I'm sorry. You kept pushing and pushing me to go to U of A but it was so annoying. I wanted to go but the more you pushed me into it, the more I wanted to leave. I didn't know how to tell you. All this time, I've wanted you to be proud of me and I don't know. I thought you wouldn't be," he mumbled, staring at his lap.

"You truly love her, don't you?" Jack asked quietly.

Troy lifted his head and nodded. "It scared me at first. I mean, I had butterflies around her, I couldn't stop thinking about her and the cold showers!" He blushed deeply at what he had just said. "And the way I felt around her. I mean, all my life I've been Troy the basketball boy. It wasn't just to do with you. It was everyone else in Albuquerque, too. But, around her, I was anyone I want to be."

Jack smiled across at his only child. "Makes me think of your mom."

"You felt like that?" Troy asked.

Jack nodded. "Sure I did. Since the day I met her in kindergarten."

"You've felt like this for that long?" Troy gasped.

Jack nodded. "I felt it yesterday, and today, and I know I'll feel it tomorrow. But, I never get tired of it. So, what about Berkeley? Why'd you want to go?"

Troy was shocked by the question but went along with it, wanting to be completely honest with his father from now on. "Berkeley? Wow. I mean, one reason I accepted is simple: less than an hour to Gabriella who is at Stanford. But, now that we've broken up, that reason doesn't really matter anymore. Berkeley is in California, for one thing. I love Albuquerque but I'm sick and tired of people seeing me in the street and asking me how the Wildcats are or what the latest fight with Knights was like. I want to go somewhere where people don't know and I can build myself up from scratch. And the theatre programme is almost as good as Juilliard."

"Where?" Jack asked, interrupting his son's passionate speech.

"A performing arts school in New York. I considered it but I want to play basketball, just not all of the time," he explained. "Dad, Berkeley is…wow. It's a really great school. I know I'll have to pay tuition with no scholarship and everything, but it's amazing and I'm really excited about it."

Jack smiled sadly to himself as Troy continued explaining the theatre and basketball programmes at Berkeley. What kind of father had he been? Raising Troy to hate Knights and the Montez family because of a feud he had never thought to end. He'd just taken it for granted that it was the way it would always be. It'd never occurred to him that his was a man, now. A man that had done everything to get his dream and a woman he was in love with. When did he grow up? Why did he miss it?

Oh, yeah. He'd been so focussed for Troy to show Knights who was boss.

"I'm sorry," Jack blurted.

Troy stopped mid-sentence, looking at his father in shock. "Excuse me? Why are you apologising?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. But, I know I owe you one. Troy, you're my only son and you mean the world to me. I remember when you were three years old. It was the middle of summer and your mom was sat on the bench out the back yard with some lemonade. We were playing basketball together. You stole the ball from me and I picked you up and you made your first basket that day. The problem is that that's the Troy I keep seeing. I keep seeing the son that would come up to me and ask me to help him build a sandcastle when we were on vacation. I keep seeing the son that would want me to put him in a Wildcat uniform that was way too big for him so that he could be like his daddy. I didn't realise you grew up so much."

"Dad," Troy grumbled, hating it when Jack mentioned the Wildcat uniform incident from when he was six.

"No, Troy," Jack said sternly. "But, you're a man now and you make your own decisions. About your future career and your future wife."

Troy's eyes grew wide. "I haven't proposed to her!"

"Do you want to marry her?" Jack asked, eyeing his son.

"Dad!"

"You do, just ask her." Jack looked across at his son.

"Dad, she broke up with me," he muttered, any sign of relief or happiness gone.

"What?" Jack exclaimed.

Troy slouched in his seat. "Dad, you know how you've been at Grandma's and Grandpa's? You know, to cool off? I was sleeping in my room. I mean, you grounded me so, I had to stay in my room. Gabriella climbed onto my balcony and woke me up. We did some things together and then she took me to this cabin place in Sharpay's back yard. We made love there. Don't say anything, let me finish. The following morning, she broke up with me. Don't think she was using me or whatever. She wasn't. But, it still hurt."

"So, what are you going to do?" Jack asked quietly.

A few tears slipped down his cheeks and he buried his face into his hands. "I don't know," he released in a whimper he'd be very embarrassed about if it wasn't because of Gabriella.

Jack got to his feet and walked around his desk to crouch down next to Troy. "Troy," he said softly, "I can't say I'm terribly happy that you want a Montez or about the things you did with her – I'm not going to be a grandpa soon, am I?"

Troy lifted his head and glared weakly at his father. "I'm eighteen! I know how to be safe and we were, I promise."

"Good." Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "But, if you love her, why don't you fight?"

Troy shrugged and wiped his cheeks. "I don't know what to do. I want her so bad. I knew there wasn't a chance I'd get depressed with her because…I was with her! But now? What's the point?"

"Troy, don't get like this, please," Jack pleaded. "I don't want to see you like this!"

"I can't help it," he muttered. "She gave me something to live for. She was like…this ray of light and hope that gave me something to live for. I mean, Dad, life is great and I'm not suicidal but you have to understand that my life isn't basketball anymore. She's everything to me."

Jack wrapped his arms around his son and sighed. "I'm so sorry."


	23. Lost

**A/N: Ummm...Sorry This took so long. HSMandChelseaFCfan sent me the start of this a couple of days ago but I was writing 'Royalty Meets Reality'. I cried a little bit...**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Chapter 22

"Bolton, get your head in the game!" Coach Bolton yelled as Troy started at the ball that bounced off the court and slowly came to a halt. There was two days to the championship game and Troy's head seemed to be becoming less and less into basketball. While it was obvious Troy was still hurting over Gabriella, Jack Bolton knew his son needed to focus if the Wildcats were to stand any chance of winning and going down in Wildcat history.

"Yo, Captain, focus. We need our star player at his best if we are going to wipe the floor with those Knights." Troy just looked at his best friend and fellow teammates before heading towards the boys locker rooms. Each one knew he was still hurting and no matter how hard they tried to distract him, it was no good.

Jack Bolton watched on solemnly as his son disappeared from sight. He hadn't seen his son play so bad since a few years ago; not even the time a few weeks ago that he now knew was to do with the brunette girl on the West side of Albuquerque. Shaking his head, knowing he didn't have time to be thinking about this, Coach Bolton blew his whistle, "Chad, take over captain. We have a game to prepare for."

***

Troy slammed his locked shut as he dropped to the wooden benches, his head in his hands. What was the point? What was the point in playing for something that meant nothing to you now? What was the point when the most important thing in your life had gone? There was no point. That was it. Simple as. Without the girl he loved more than the air he breathed there was no point.

Clenching his hand Troy punched the wooden bench he was on trying to find some release for the pent up anger within his body. Wincing as the pain that was sure to bring bruises that would soon form on his knuckles, Troy stood up and grabbed his towel from his locker and headed towards the showers. He knew his dad would be mad at him for walking out of practice considering the championship was just days away but he couldn't take it anymore. Basketball just wasn't worth it. Not now at least. He'd deal with the consequences later.

***

It was only now as she stood in her room folding her clothes neatly into the suitcase open on her bed, did it actually feel real. She would be gone, gone from Albuquerque in just a mere forty-eight hours. Forty-eight hours and she would be able to finally leave Albuquerque and move on with her life. Well she hoped she would.

"Hey, sis, you want anything to eat?" Gabriella shook her head at Carl who had popped his head around the door. Carl sighed as he looked at her before closing the door behind him and walking over to her. Wrapping his arms around his twin from behind, he leaned his chin on her shoulder. "I wish you could be happy again, Gabs."

Gabriella gave a small smile but still remained quiet. Carl knew if she wanted him, she'd speak in her own time. Unwinding his arms, he went to turn but felt a grip on his arm. "Please."

Carl turned and pulled her into his embrace and she held onto him tightly. "Don't let Landon or any of the other know but I'm going to miss you when you've gone. How am I going to cope without us being able to pull the twin trick on Mom and Dad?"

Shaking her head at her brother, she let her mouth part. "I'm scared."

"I know you are but you'll be great. You're gonna go up there and knock all those other swots out of their nerdy socks and heck even the teachers, too. You're gonna finish the programme, come back home for the summer or if you like we could persuade Mom and Dad to let me come join you in California and then we can have a fun filled summer with all those hot babes." Carl rubbed his hands together behind Gabriella's back while smirking.

Gabriella rolled her eyes knowing how typical her brother was. But the smile that had appeared on her face slowly slipped away again; the only genuine smile that had graced her face, since the split, disappearing into a distant memory again. "I'd do anything to see you smile again."

"I know. Carl, I want to be on my own for a bit, do you mind?" Gabriella asked pulling away from the comfort in his arms and going back to her packing.

"Just know I'm here if you need me." Gabriella nodded as Carl left the room.

***

"Well?" Carl sighed at the blonde who was waiting outside his sister's room.

"Still nothing. She's refusing to acknowledge anything, really." Sharpay, Zeke and Landon all looked at each other worriedly. The thought of Gabriella leaving in her current state worried them. She had barely spoken a word to anyone and had been keeping her emotions under wrap.

Sharpay glanced at her watch. "You guys have an extra practise and need to get going. I'll stay and keep an eye in case she comes out and wants to talk." Carl went to interrupt. "I promise if she needs you I'll call. Look all you guys can do is focus on the game and win that for Gabriella because the last thing she needs is to be worried about you guys not winning and Troy's face being splashed about everywhere because the Wildcats won and that would be even more painful for her."

The three guys nodded and headed downstairs, Zeke pecking Sharpay on the lips before leaving. They all knew whatever happened in the next forty-eight hours would be crucial.

***

Game day. The day Troy was dreading. Lessons that day had dragged on and now out on court, Troy couldn't help but feel sick, knowing that things could have been so different today if Gabriella hadn't have broken up with him. But instead, it was just like any other game except Troy couldn't focus. The only thing that was in Troy's head was spotting the brunette he was madly in love with, hoping she would be here even if she wasn't here for him. The East High gym had been filling up slowly with fellow Wildcat and Knight students; cheerleaders and mascots for both teams doing their best to rally the crowd.

"Look who just entered." Jason stated as Troy felt Chad clap him on the shoulder at the sight. Carl, Zeke and fellow Knights entered the gym in their warm up tracksuits; their symbolic blue and yellow school colours.

Carl's eyes locked on Troy's as Troy headed towards him in the middle of the court where he parted from his team who stood around their bench. "How you doing, man?"

"It doesn't matter. How's Ella?" Troy asked praying she was ok.

Carl sighed. "Probably just as bad as you, if not worse. I promise I've tried to get her to come round but she's having none of it and after she's gone tonight, I'm not sure if she'll ever return because she's hurting that much."

Troy nodded. "Promise me one thing, Carl. Make sure she knows no matter what I'll always love her."

Carl smiled and offered his hand to Troy. "I promise."

The two captains shook hands and walked back to their teams, Troy's cerulean eyes still scanning the opposition crowd in hope of finding the one person who inspired him to play him best.

***

Before he knew it, it was half time and the Wildcats were beating the Knights but only by a little. Jack and the rest of the team knew Troy was having an awful game but somehow they were managing and knew that they needed Troy in the game for his odd skilful move or pass that he successfully managed to complete. There was still no sign of Gabriella and Chad and Jason had already picked up on the fact he was hoping to see her in the crowd somewhere.

"Ok, so let's finish this game and win. Chad," Jack finished as Troy looked up.

"What team?" Chad yelled.

"Wildcats!"

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

"What team?"

"Wildcats."

"Wildcats!"

"Get 'cha head in the game!" The team stood up and clapped hands before jogging back out to the court.

"Troy?" Troy turned to face his dad. "Win or lose I'm proud of you and I know Gabriella would be, too." Troy nodded and slowly headed back out, knowing it was useless because no matter what anyone else said, Gabriella was the only one he needed right now. And without her, there was no point.

***

Standing at the side, Gabriella watched through the small gap in the door as the two teams fought for the championship. She'd promised her dad she would go but after stepping foot into the East High gym and seeing the tan Wildcat Captain, it became too much and she had to get out of there before he saw her. She now found herself watching from outside, knowing that although she wanted the Knights to win in her head, in her heart she wasn't so sure anymore.

Watching the ball drop through the hoop just as the clock hit zero, Gabriella closed her eyes as she heard the cheers erupt from inside. Closing the door she walked away, knowing it was time for her to leave with her goodbyes having being done before the game. With one last look at the school, Gabriella climbed into her mother's car.

"Ready?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready." The car moved off and Gabriella felt the tears slip down her cheek silently knowing that her heart was well and truly broken.

***

Troy slipped down the lockers, not wanting to face anyone. The Wildcats had lost and it was obvious the team was furious and he knew it was his fault. He was well and truly a failure. Not only had he lost the girl he loved but now the one thing that his whole team had been counting on, the championship. He might as well be dead now because he was a failure to everyone. And nothing would ever change that.

He buried his face into his knees and finally cried. He lost everything. He'd lost his father's trust, the game and Gabriella. Everything that had ever meant anything to him had slipped through his fingers like tiny grains of sand. Although he didn't want to win the championship for the U of A scholarship like he did originally, he wanted to win so that he could be remembered at East High for more than going behind everyone's backs and dating a West High Knight.

"This sucks," he whispered.

"Troy," a voice said softly.

"Go away, Shar," he grumbled. "I want to be alone."

"Well, I'm not leaving you alone. I mean, we could both be killed at any minute. You know I'm in the guys' changing rooms, right? I mean," she sniffed, "it stinks. Do you guys never shower?"

He cracked a small smile but it faded. "Is she okay?"

Sharpay crossed one leg over the other and sighed, tears blurring her vision. "Not really. She and her dad are on talking terms now, though. Which is good."

He nodded. "Of course."

"What about you?" she asked quietly.

He looked up at her. "I don't know. Part of me is glad that she picked her family over me. The other part…I know that we'd both be that much happier if we just…have each other. But, no matter what I do, she won't talk to me. She wasn't even here today. It kind of hurt me. I thought she'd at least turn up for Carl and Zeke. When I couldn't find her…It's like my luck finally ran out."

"Maybe…" She looked down at him. "Troy, you've become a really close friend of mine and I really care about you. You're like a brother and…I mean, I hate you but I love you, too. I want you to be happy just like I want Gabs to be happy. You both mean a lot to me. So, I think you need to find a way to get your luck back," she said thoughtfully.

"How the hell do I do that?" he asked bitterly.

"Well, you make it happen. What happened to the Troy Bolton that told me that Gabriella was worth fighting for?" she demanded.

Troy frowned and got to his feet. "That's before I knew I was going to be fighting against her own family. She's already made that choice once before. I'm not forcing her to make that choice again," he yelled. "I might be getting depressed again but I don't care, quite frankly. If she wants her family instead of everything I did for her, she can. I just thought that everything that happened between us, everything we'd risked, was worth more than simply giving up. You know what? I'm glad she's gone. Now I can finally think for myself instead of her distracting me. I can actually think about standing on my own two feet."

Sharpay stood up and glared at him. She climbed onto the bench so that she was looking down on him. "Don't you dare yell at me when it concerns my best friend. I might not have known you for long but when it concerns Gabi, you suck at lying. Why are you making this difficult?"

"She didn't have to break up with me simply because things start getting a little rough. Newsflash! This is real life. Not some book that'll end up happily ever after that she's always reading. She needs to realise that life isn't simple and she can't simply give up," he shot back.

Sharpay grunted in frustration. "Then show her what she's missing if she fights, too!" she exclaimed. "Besides, when you're telling me what my best friend should and shouldn't do, can you please make sure you're not being a hypocrite? You admitted to me that you're fighting either." She shook her head and breathed out deeply. "This isn't the Troy Bolton she fell in love with."

"That's because she was the one who broke up with me," he muttered, leaning back against the lockers. "I'm sorry, Sharpay. I just…I don't know what to do. When I had her and I was confused about something, I just had to remind myself that I had her. Now, I can't do that." He rubbed his eyes. "I want to wake up and find me next to her in her bed. What I'd give to have that again…"

"Shar?" a voice asked.

They both turned to find Carl and Zeke standing there, their gym bags slung over their shoulders. "One second guys," she whispered. She jumped down from the bench and smiled slightly up at Troy. "I hope you know that she'll never love anyone but you." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. She smiled softly. "I love you, Troy."

"What?" Zeke exclaimed.

"Oh, shut up, you big idiot. I love Troy like I love Ry and Carl. Like a brother." She rolled her eyes and turned back to Troy. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned up onto her tiptoes to whisper into his ear, "You know she'll always wait for you."

He nodded silently. "I guess." He turned to Carl and Zeke when she pulled back and made her way over to Zeke to kiss him. "Congratulations. It was a good game."

Carl nodded and stepped forward to shake his hand. "It was. You played well."

"I don't think so," he muttered. "Why wasn't she here?"

Carl sighed. "She was. She was outside, looking through the gym doors. She couldn't face you and the rest of the West High. She's been struggling all week with all of the comments they're making. I don't want to think about what they'd do if Zeke, Shar and I weren't there." He leaned closer to Troy. "I think they were more scared of Sharpay than of me and Zeke put together."

Troy laughed softly. "I can imagine. I was a bit scared when we first met."

Carl grinned. "Interrogation?"

"Oh, yeah! Then they started squealing and talking about Brie's wedding!" Troy exclaimed.

Carl rolled his eyes. "Blue lilies and Paris?"

Troy nodded. "Don't forget the handkerchief that 'totally matches my eyes'."

"Yeah. That, too. Do you think you'll be okay?" Carl asked quietly.

Troy took a deep breath. "I don't know. I honestly don't. Maybe everything will sink in and I'll find the strength to talk to your dad and fight for her. But, right now, I think I need some time for me. And Shar?" he asked, gaining her attention. "I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean it. I was just mad that we lost and how she's on her way to California. I really am sorry."

"It's okay." She smiled softly. "You'll get her back one day. And I hope we're on Broadway together one day."

"I'm looking forward to it," he said softly.

Zeke stepped forward. "You know, I could bake you a batch of cookies that could help you win Gabi back," he offered.

Sharpay gasped and hit her boyfriend over the head. "Gabriella can't be won over by cookies. She deserves more than that."

Zeke turned to her and brought her into his arms. "You never complain when I bake cookies for you."

"Because you're mine," she cried. "Of course I love your cookies."

Troy turned to Carl. "Are they always like this?"

The young man nodded. "Pretty much. Hey, we have to go and celebrate. We'll see you later?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that." He received hugs from Carl, Zeke, and finally Sharpay. "If you hear from her, will you call me?"

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah. I will. Bye, Troy." The three Knights left the locker room, leaving Troy alone.

Troy sank down onto the bench and sighed, staring at his locker. A few moments later, Chad, Jason, Kelsi and Taylor walked in. He looked over to them and offered a weak smile. "I'm sorry."

Chad shook his head as he sat next to his best friend. "It wasn't your fault. You played really well in the circumstances and we didn't lose by much. Single digits. Less than five." He grinned.

"Yeah, but I missed so many shots," he grumbled. "She's really gone, guys. She's a thousand miles away. I'm never going to get her back." He stood up and made his way out of the locker room.

"Why do I don't like where this is going?" Jason asked quietly.

Kelsi rolled her eyes. "It's going to be a long summer."


	24. Losing Pride

**A/N: Ummmmm...Enjoy :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

It had been just over two weeks since the championship and since Gabriella left to start the programme at Stanford. He didn't know how things were on the West side of Albuquerque, but they weren't so great on the East. Although, to a stranger, Troy didn't seem all that bothered about it, Jack knew better. He knew that Troy was a good actor because it was all an act. A very convincing one, he had to admit. No wonder he wanted to go into the theatre. But, he was nowhere near convinced.

All Troy was doing was playing basketball. Which was downright crazy considering the championship was weeks ago. He'd managed to get through his finals and now all he was doing was going to school and playing basketball. He wasn't eating all that much and the only reason he wasn't losing weight is because of how much he was working out.

Blitzen had even noticed that something was wrong. That was saying something. When Troy wasn't at school, which was really the only time he left the house, he never left Troy's side. He was much more energetic, trying to get Troy to cheer up. To really cheer up, not the act he was putting on. When Troy was at school, all Blitzen did was pine around and both Jack and Lucille knew he wanted Troy to be happy again.

Jack flipped through the photo album that was on his desk and frowned deeply. Despite the fact that Gabriella was a Knight and he wasn't terribly impressed with Troy' decision of lying, he knew that he'd never been as happy as within the last few months. Jack had assumed, apparently wrongly, that Troy had always been happiest when playing basketball. But, he was wrong and he accepted that.

He didn't even want to think about what Gabriella was going through. Despite not speaking to her all that much and his opinion of her wasn't exactly backed up by evidence, he had to admire her courage. She wanted her family. She took everything everybody had ever said about her relationship with Troy in her stride and had given Troy up to keep her family. He didn't know if Troy would've even considered that. But, maybe he didn't want Troy to have considered that. Troy had been truly happy with Gabriella…that was good enough for him.

He looked up and saw Troy walk past his office. "You okay, son?"

Troy stopped and turned. He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I am. Should I not be?"

Jack stared at him for a moment. "I wish you didn't feel that you had to act around _me_. Or your mom. It's okay to be upset. No one will get mad."

"No, Dad," Troy said sternly. "I have to move on. She's not coming back. So, just leave it!" Troy sighed and stormed away, stomping up the stairs.

Jack groaned to himself and buried his face into his hands. "What have I done?"

Lucille walked into her husband's office and sat down opposite him. She reached for the photo album and smiled to herself. "Wow. I haven't looked at this in ages. What are you doing with it?"

Jack lifted his head and leaned back in his chair. "Thinking."

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" she asked quietly. "I wish he'd talk. Kelsi called me just now. He hasn't spoken to her, either."

"I don't know what to do, Luce. I mean, what do you think?"

Lucille flicked through the album, smiling gently at the pictures of her husband and son. "I think you know what you need to do."

"I don't want to make things worse," he admitted. "I'm afraid that it's too late and that Montez won't listen to me. The way I acted in high school… I don't know why Troy wanted to be like me when he was little. I never thought to end this stupid thing. I didn't think my own son would be so hurt because of it."

Lucille reached over to take his hand in hers. "You didn't know at the time. But, I don't think it's too late. I think you need to forget about your pride for a while and do it for Troy."

Jack sighed. "I know. But, I don't know if Montez is going to be so easy to convince."

Lucille squeezed his hand. "I don't know. He seemed real upset when he found out that Gabriella was leaving. I think, if he's a real father, he'll do anything for her."

"Has Sharpay contacted Troy?" Jack enquired after a moment.

Lucille frowned as she played with Jack's fingers. "I think during the first week. Why?"

"Well, what did she say?" Jack asked.

She shrugged. "That Gabriella was safe at Stanford. Knee-deep in geniuses. But, Sharpay could tell that something's wrong. Gabriella only said about three full sentences. The rest was one word answers whenever Sharpay asked a question."

Jack squeezed her hand. "Do you think it's possible to get hold of Sharpay's number?"

Lucille nodded and stood up. "I don't know about cell phone but I can find the home phone, no trouble."

"If that's the only one, it'll have to do," Jack decided as he rose to his feet and followed Lucille out of his office and into the hall.

Lucille found the phone book and set it on the kitchen island. She flicked through it, her index finger going down the list of names until she found Evans. "There you go. That one."

"Are you sure? There are five Evans' here!" Jack exclaimed.

"They live on North Street. I promise," she said softly as she handed him the phone.

Jack took the phone and dialled the number, holding it to his ear. "If this is the wrong one, I hate you."

"Hello?" a polite voice answered.

"Uh, hi. I'm Jack Bolton. I'm wondering if Sharpay's there," Jack started.

"Oh, yes, of course, one second," the voice said.

A moment later, Sharpay came on the phone. "Jack? What's up?"

"Hey, Sharpay. I'm just wondering how Gabriella's doing?" Jack asked.

Sharpay sighed. "I don't know. She's my best friend and I know when she's saying one thing and meaning something completely different. She says she's having a good time. I know she's having a good time as far as being at Stanford is concerned. But, I know that she's miserable, too. I mean, I love Gabriella like a sister but she did a really stupid thing. She would've done better to just stay with Troy and sort this whole thing out when she came back. Now, she's away from her family _and_ Troy."

Jack tapped the kitchen counter. "So, she's basically terrible without Troy?"

"Pretty much. I don't know what to do, though. I'm really worried," she admitted.

"Don't worry. It'll work out. What about Gabriella's brothers and Baylor?" Jack asked, his brow creasing.

Sharpay sighed. "I don't know. Carl's tried to convince Greg that Gabriella's miserable but he's not listening. To be honest, I think he's struggling to come to terms with her leaving Albuquerque than anything to do with Troy."

"Right. Listen, you need to convince Greg that Gabriella's hurting, okay? Get him to call me. Got it?" Jack asked.

"When?" Sharpay cried. "When do you want him to call you?"

"I don't know!" Jack exclaimed. "As soon as you convince him to. I don't care. Just do it. Please!"

"Okay, okay. I'll try. I'll call Gabriella's brothers. They're our best bet, I think. The Montez siblings, despite the amount of them, are ridiculously close. If Gabriella's brothers all tell Greg what's really happening at Stanford, he'll have no choice but to reconsider."

Jack licked his lips. "Okay. Well, I'm willing to do anything if it means my own son doesn't have to _act_ happy around me and my wife. Now I realise how good of an actor he actually is."

"Then, how do you know he's acting?" Sharpay asked.

"Sharpay Evans…You are a know-it-all, aren't you? Wanting to know everything that's happening? Typical of a Knight," Jack muttered.

"Gee, thanks," Sharpay replied sarcastically.

"I saw how Troy was happy in those months he was with Gabriella. I saw the difference. I was the one who guessed he was in love. Of course, I didn't know it was with Gabriella but still… Now, though. He _looks_ happy but that's all. It's an act compared to how happy he was when they were together!" Jack exclaimed.

"Right. Just wait for the call okay?" Sharpay asked.

"Yeah. When Montez agrees to call me, get everyone that Gabriella's close to at our house, okay? Friends, brothers, family…anybody. I'll get our side here. Okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. I'm on it," Sharpay said decisively.

* * *

Sharpay, Zeke, Carl, Landon, Danny, Eddie and Cody all crammed themselves onto the couch. Sharpay was sat on Zeke's lap with Carl on one side and Landon on the other. Cody, Danny and Eddie were all perched on the back of the sofa. Ryan and Martha were both sat on the floor and all nine of them were looking expectantly up at Greg and Maria. Maria was standing a step behind her husband, her eyes locked nervously onto him. She had figured out what all of her sons and her daughter's friends were all in her house but prayed to the gods that whatever they had planned would work.

"Okay, so, what are you doing here?" Greg asked.

Sharpay folded her hands in her lap. "What has Gabriella told you about her last two weeks at Stanford University?"

Greg swallowed and folded his arms. "That she's learning a lot. The classes are really good and she's looking forward to studying there."

Carl stood up, stepping carefully over Ryan and Martha. "Did she say once that she was actually _enjoying_ it?"

"Well, no, but she is!" Greg exclaimed.

"How do you know?" Cody asked. "If she never said it in so many words, how do you know? Did you ask?"

Greg nodded. "Of course I did."

"And what was her reply?" Sharpay demanded.

Greg shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Hmmmm…" he muttered quietly.

"So, technically," Danny started, "she never agreed nor disagreed."

"If you want to be technical," Greg snapped.

"Greg," Maria started, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Maria, it's not fair," he whispered. "They're tricking me."

She wrapped her arms around him, looking into his brown eyes. "Greg, honey, they just want Gabriella back, just like you do. Maybe we don't want her back here in Albuquerque, exactly, we want… We want _our_ Gabriella back. Maybe she's a thousand miles away but don't you want her to be happy all that way away."

Greg sighed. "But…"

"Listen to me," she said sternly. "Remember when we were eighteen. We'd overcome high school. You picked the little science nerd. You picked me. Remember when we went to college. You were at U of A and I went to Stanford, a thousand away. But, I had you and I was happy. Were you happy, despite me being the other end of the country?"

Greg nodded. "Of course."

"Don't let our baby girl go through college without feeling that way. Please listen to them. They want to help," she said softly.

Greg kissed her gently. "Okay. I'll listen." He released her and turned to the young adults in front of him. "Go on."

Sharpay got to her feet and stood beside Carl. "Greg, I'm talking to you as practically a second daughter. I'm worried about my best friend. She gave Troy up for you. She couldn't care less about what everyone at West High thinks about her. She knew that Zeke, Ry, Martha and I were behind her. Then Carl and Landon offered their support and she knew that Danny, Eddie and Cody would come around. They didn't want to lose her over a bloody feud."

"I agree, Dad," Carl said softly. "She saw the look you gave her when everyone found out. Sure, I wasn't terribly impressed but we're twins. She's one of my best friends and I wouldn't let anything come between us. Dad, she loves Troy and she always will. She won't love anyone else." He took a deep breath and raised his voice. "Do you want her to live her entire life feeling like she couldn't fall in love because you hate the Boltons'?" he yelled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Sharpay touched his arm. "Carl," she whispered and shook her head gently when he turned to her.

He nodded and took a deep breath before turning back to Greg. "I know we don't like the Wildcats and the Boltons' but why would you let that get in the way of what Gabriella wants?"

Greg scratched his cheek and sighed. "I don't. But…"

Landon stood up. "Stop saying that. Think about it: since Gabriella nearly drowned, when she met Troy, has she been happier in her entire life?"

Greg finally shook his head. "No. But, what do you want me to do? I never asked her to break up with him."

Sharpay pulled out her cell phone and scrolled down until she reached **Bolton – Home**. She handed it over to Greg. "If you love Gabriella like we all know you do, you know what you have to do."

Greg took her cell phone and pressed 'call' before he held it to his ear. "I never thought I'd be ringing Bolton," he hissed.

The phone stopped ringing and he heard Lucille's voice. "Hello?"

"Is this…Lucille?" he asked.

"Yes…"

"It's Greg Montez," he muttered. "Is your husband there?"

"Yes, he is. Jack," she called.

There was a slight rustling before Jack spoke. "Montez?"

"Bolton," he spat. "How's your brat?"

"He's alright, I guess. Depressed again but, why do you care?" Jack sneered. "Ow! Fine," he grumbled. "Sorry, Montez."

"It's okay," he muttered. "I care because my princess is depressed, too. That makes no sense considering she's at the college of her dreams."

"She's depressed?" Jack asked suddenly.

"Well, yeah. She is. She's in love and I basically told her she had to choose between the boy she loves and the college of her dreams. It's my fault, okay? I admit it. Is that what you want to hear?" Greg demanded.

"No. But, that's only because it's my fault, too. Why were we so stupid?" Jack asked quietly.

Greg glanced at everyone in front of him and sighed. "I don't know. I guess, I was proud. I wanted to be the best Knight captain ever. But, I wasn't. I should've stopped this whole thing years ago. But, I didn't. I'm sorry."

Maria rested a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "I'm proud of you."

"Me too," Jack admitted. "I'm sorry. I don't know about you, but I want them together. As soon as possible."

"I never thought I'd actually want my princess to get together with a Bolton. But, it'll make her happy. So, what do you suggest we do?" Greg asked.

"Is everyone at your place? Your sons and Gabriella's friends?"

"Yeah, everyone's here," he confirmed.

"How fast can you get over here? I'm willing to say that our safest bet is convincing Troy to go to California. Okay?" Jack asked with determination.

Greg nodded, determination taking over his chocolate coloured eyes. "We're on our way right now. Give us ten."

* * *

After pleasantries, for once, they were actually close to pleasant, were officially made between the Bolton and Montez posses, Maria and Lucille were busy making refreshments while everyone made themselves at home. Jack and Greg were discussing Troy and Gabriella, Kelsi, Ryan and Sharpay were discussing theatrical stuff, Taylor and Martha were discussing the recent scholastic decathlon, and the rest of the males – Bolton or Montez, Wildcat or Knight – were discussing that fateful championship game.

Suffice to say that everyone present was pleasantly surprised that the people that they had all hated for years actually shared some common ground except the feud. Zeke and Jason were shocked when they found that Gabriella's brothers and Zeke were more worried about their sister than gloating that they had won the championships. It soon became evident that they had misjudged each other.

Jack glanced over and smiled proudly at the interactions happening in his very own living room. It was kind of crowded but nobody noticed. They were all too entranced with getting to know their former enemy. Jack had to admit that he was enjoying his company in the form of Greg Montez. Although their conversation wasn't straying too far from their children and their relationship, it was comforting that Jack wasn't the only party that felt guilty about the whole thing.

"Hey, you okay?" Greg asked after finally realising that he'd lost Jack's attention.

Jack jumped out of his reverie. "Huh?"

Greg chuckled and thanked his wife as she handed him a cup of coffee. Jack thanked her, too, as she gave him his own beverage. "You were really out of it. You alright?"

Jack nodded as he drank a couple of gulps of coffee. "I'm fine, I guess. I was just thinking."

"About Troy?" Greg guessed.

Jack frowned and shook his head. "Surprisingly no," he said slowly. "Now that you're, well, everyone's here, I feel that there's some hope. But, I'm thinking about…_this_." He gestured with his hands to the lively conversation happening before the two grown men. Maria and Lucille were walking back fore with a range of beverages and handing them to different people. "I don't think anyone in the entire Wildcat and Knight history ever dreamed that this would happen."

"What? You mean my daughter and your son confessing their love to each other and lying to everyone around them or everyone coming down from their high horses to get them back together?" Greg asked.

"Well, all of it. But, I was actually talking about everyone just…talking. Like everyone's known each other for years. You know, if you think about it, we could've been friends…hypothetically," Jack muttered.

Greg sighed as he sipped his coffee. "Of course. Hypothetically. I mean, we're both basketball crazy, we were both captains of our high school basketball teams, our children – except Gabriella – have been in the same position."

"And we were too damn proud to stop this whole thing from happening?" Jack guessed the last part.

Greg agreed. "Yes. You know, I sometimes wonder if things would've been different if we'd stopped it when we were at high school. But, what if this whole thing made them stronger than they would've been without this whole feud to force them into hiding?"

Jack thought about it. "It makes sense. I mean, they had to be strong, come to think of it. I mean, I know Gabriella ended it but that was for you, not because she didn't love Troy anymore."

Greg glared at him. "I know, I know, I practically drove my daughter to insanity. Let's just put it in the newspaper."

"Actually, everything made the paper. The whole thing: Gabriella almost drowning, Troy saving her, them seeing _Romeo and Juliet_ at the Glitz, everything to Gabriella breaking up with him. Don't you read Albuquerque News?" Jack exclaimed.

Greg pulled a face and shook his head. "Hell, no. Not since a picture of me in nothing but a girl's miniskirt was printed in it after _someone_ stole all of my clothes after basketball practice – except for one little denim miniskirt."

"Ah, yes," Jack said nostalgically, "junior year. We were gloating about the championships. I just didn't expect it to be published in a local newspaper. By the way, was it Maria's miniskirt?"

"No," he muttered, looking intently into his coffee cup.

"What?" Jack laughed. "I thought you hooked up in sophomore year."

"Oh, yeah, we did. I just didn't give a past girlfriend all of her clothes back. If Maria finds out, I'll know who to kill," Greg growled.

Jack laughed. "Calm down. I'm not brave enough. I've seen your relationship. Let's just say it's clear who wears the pants."

"Hey! What about you and Lucille?" Greg exclaimed. "I could practically see her glaring at you to call Sharpay."

"I could _actually hear _Maria telling you to basically ask for my advice on how to get our kids back together," Jack yelled.

Greg suddenly looked away at the sudden silence in the room and saw a very confused, very tired-looking Troy standing in front of them in some boxers and an old white t-shirt. Blitzen stood faithfully at his feet. Troy ran a hand through his dishevelled hair and then pinched his forearm. "Ouch!" he yelped. "I'm not dreaming," he decided. "When I came downstairs, I didn't expect to find you two arguing about who is more whipped. What are you all doing here?" he asked, turning to everyone else. "I think I'm going to find some pants."

Lucille shook her head. "No," she said shortly. "Just listen to us. All of us."

Danny stood up from his position on the floor and outstretched his hand. "I'm Danny, Gabriella's oldest brother. I don't believe we've met."

"Troy," the young man said wearily.

Danny gestured to Cody and then Eddie. "Cody, and Eddie. You know Landon and Carl."

Troy nodded slowly. "Okay… Someone start talking. Right. Now," he said tightly.

Greg and Jack rose from the couch and Lucille basically forced him to sit down. "Sweetheart, don't lie to us anymore. None of us like you acting in front of us."

"I'm not acting," Troy said quietly.

Sharpay snorted. "Right," she mumbled. "Troy, the day someone classes that as acting, is the day that I will willingly go a whole day without pink. It's not going to happen. You're a good actor, sure, just not without Gabriella present."

Troy glared at her but what was the point? He slouched back into the couch and Blitzen jumped up beside him. Troy's hand automatically went to Blitzen's back as the German shepherd rested his head in his master's lap and whined quietly to himself. For once, Lucille let them be. She'd vacuum the sofa another day. Troy sighed and shook his head. "It's not my fault."

"I beg to differ," Chad exclaimed.

"You would," Taylor groaned.

"Tay, let me speak. Troy, you could've chased her. You could've chased her _before she went all the bloody way to California!_" Chad exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Chad, shut the fuck up. You've had Tay your whole life. She's never walked away from you and the way you need someone to control you, she _can't_ walk away. Otherwise, we're all doomed." Troy ignored Chad's evident glare. "But, Gabriella walked, well, she kind of ran and stumbled at one point, away from me after we…well, you know. I know she still loves me, I know. But, she walked away from me, the only guy to truly love her because she's just Gabriella, because of him." He pointed a shaking finger at Greg. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. "How will I ever do something that will come close to that?"

Kelsi got up from the floor and squished herself in between his body and the armrest of the sofa – Blitzen was taking up the majority of the three-seater. She grunted slightly as she got more comfortable and sighed. "Troy, don't lie to me anymore. And don't say that you're not because you are. Ever since the championship, you've been lying. You can lie to East High, you can become an international basketball superstar and lie to the entire world for all I care. As long as you don't lie to me. So, Troy David Alexander Bolton, how do you feel?"

Troy let a long breath escape his chest. He concentrated on what he knew. He knew Blitzen was there. Always there. Kelsi was next to him. Always next to him or behind him to pick him up when he fell down and to brush him off and to tell him that everything would be okay. He knew that his living room was hot and stuffy. It was hot and stuffy – despite the late summer evening – because of the amount of people that was crammed inside. People who cared about him and people who cared about Gabriella. He knew Gabriella wasn't there. She hadn't been for what felt like an eternity.

Then, his thoughts drifted to what he didn't know. He didn't know what had been happening in his life for the past two weeks. Everyday he'd wake up and go to school, he'd eat lunch on the rooftop garden, come home, play basketball, have dinner, then spend the rest of the evening in his bedroom. He didn't know what was happening at school…or in the rest of the world, to be honest. But, he had no clue what was happening a thousand miles away at Stanford.

"I feel…lonely," he said in realisation. "All this time, all of these years," he muttered, looking at his lap, "I was lonely despite you guys. You expected so much of me. With Gabriella…there were no expectations."

Kelsi hugged him tightly. "It's okay. We're not insulted. Just listen to us."

Troy lifted his head and sighed. "I really think I should get some pants, though."

Maria sighed. "Troy Bolton, at least you have boxers on. You're covered. It's fine. Trust us."

Greg looked the boy over. He looked paler. The bags under his eyes were screaming that he wasn't sleeping or eating enough. He looked, though, as if he'd gained a few pounds. Which only made sense if he had been working out. He sick pallor and dreary eyes, however, gave way that he wasn't eating properly. "I've spoken with your parents."

The room gasped. "You actually talked?" Sharpay cried dramatically, falling back onto Zeke's chest.

Greg laughed sarcastically. "Ha ha. Very funny. Yes, yes, we _talked_. More importantly, Jack and I talked." He paused as another simultaneous gasp rippled through the room. "Are you all done?"

Danny sniggered and sat back down with his brothers. "I think so."

Greg shook his head. "I swear you got your mother's genes."

"Anyway," Jack started pointedly, "we were talking. And we want you to go to California this week."

Troy rolled his eyes. "And, hypothetically, if I go, what makes you so sure she'll take an idiot like me back. She's in fucking California. She can have any guy she wants. Why would she go for me?"

"Oh please!" Taylor exclaimed. "Cut the crap, Troy. Stop being so 'oh woe is me' and just do it. Come on! Your parents finally called a…well, I think they've called a half-truce…maybe…" She shook he head. "Whatever. They're practically begging you to get Gabriella back!"

Troy continued to run his fingers through Blitzen's black and tan fur. "Thank you for making the effort to be civil with each other," he started quietly, "but, really, she's better off without me. And what about school?"

"Troy, you've finished school!" Jack exclaimed. "I'll settle it with the school. Please, Troy? I'm practically begging you to chase after a Montez. Don't let me do it for nothing."

Troy laughed. "Look at you. Who'd have thought? You really want me to go?"

Lucille nodded and then turned to Greg and Maria who immediately agreed. "Sweetheart, as much as you don't want to admit it, and I don't either, but you're getting depressed again. I know you've tried to hide but it's pretty obvious. No one wants that. If Gabriella knew she'd kill herself for breaking up with you and then come back to kill you for not running after her."

Troy raised his eyebrows. "You think so?" He looked around and saw every single person that was crammed in that little room was nodding. "But, what makes you think she'll take me back? She broke up with me for her family. Why would she suddenly take me back? She won't know that you guys want us together."

Maria shook her head. "We live in the twenty first century. We have things call cell phones. If she has any doubt, any at all, get her to call us. We'll convince her."

"How?" Troy asked.

"We'll use Carl. If that doesn't work, we'll use Greg. If that doesn't work, we'll use Sharpay," Maria explained.

Troy frowned. "I understand using Carl and Greg but why Sharpay?"

"She's Gabriella's best friend. Plus she can be persuasive. Especially when she uses the whole 'do it or die' tone," Carl exclaimed as he shuddered.

Troy laughed at Sharpay's horrified face before he got to his feet. He reached up and clutched the Knights necklace that Gabriella had given him. He'd worn it every day and every night since he'd been given it. He released it and a smile slowly spread over his face. "I think I need a shower." He dashed out of the room.

Everyone looked around perplexed. "Where did he go?" Sharpay exclaimed.

Troy stuck his head back into the living room. "I gotta smell nice for my lady, haven't I? God, you guys are really stupid sometimes!"


	25. Reunited

**A/N: I think you'll like this chapter :) I liked writing it. :P I'm going to be working on the next chapter of 'Royalty meets Reality' now. Follow me on twitter: WiLdCaTgIrL_14**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Gabriella swung her legs back and fore. Two weeks. It had been two long weeks without Troy or Carl or Sharpay or Greg or anybody from Albuquerque. Well, she'd been calling and e-mailing the latter three but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be able to get up and walk downstairs and find her brothers crowded around the island. She wanted to be able to talk to Sharpay and to play some basketball with Carl and to _see_ Greg. After everything that had happened she just wanted to see him. But, his voice had sufficed this long at she could get through one more week, surely.

She shifted carefully and grunted as she clung tightly to the large trunk of the tree she was currently sitting in. Daisy was lying protectively at the bottom on the small patch of grass that surrounded the tree. Gabriella had wanted some peace and quiet. And it was definitely peaceful and quiet. Sure, she'd climbed loads of trees, especially since she met Troy, but she didn't realise exactly how bloody high this particular tree was. Maybe there was something about California that made trees grow quicker or maybe trees in Albuquerque were smaller…Gabriella didn't know. All she knew was that she was holding on to the tree trunk for dear life.

She couldn't deny that she missed Troy. Ever since she'd broken it off with him, she hadn't voluntarily spoken of her own accord. She had only spoken when spoken to and even then, there wasn't the bouncy tone that had been laced into her voice ever since her relationship with Troy had been established. And she hadn't corrected anyone's faults in the classes she was taking, either, which was rare. Gabriella had been widely known throughout West High because of how she would always correct someone, student or teacher, if they made a mistake in class.

Troy had become like a light. After all of her worry over being accepted into Stanford, he'd stepped into her life and comforted her by simply leaving a trace of his scent in her room. Now all she had of him was the locket and his denim jack that he refused to take back. She missed his smell. She liked it. She missed his voice. It had a terrible knack of making her weak in the knees. Especially since their first time making love. All Troy had to do was send her a smirk and talk and she was practically ripping his clothes off. That was another thing: she missed the way he simply held her. The way his muscles flexed was he cradled her tightly to his body. She missed his protectiveness. She missed his eyes, his nose, and his lips…his face. But, she missed the look in his eyes whenever he looked at her. His cerulean eyes were always sparkling, shining with love for her. That was all it took for her to want to kiss him.

She had dreams about him. She'd dream about how it felt when Troy saved her. She'd dream about their first date, when he asked her to be his girlfriend. She'd dream about the many times they'd spent in the field and in her bedroom. But, then she'd get herself in a right state because she'd dream about the morning she broke up with him. She'd wake up in a cold sweat and tangled in her sheets with tears dampening her cheeks.

It was bloody ridiculous, if she was honest. She'd broken up with the most perfect guy in the universe and he never once tried to get her back. He hadn't even called her. He did, however, send her a rather long and rambling e-mail that told her that he was glad she'd chosen her family over him. But, that had been a couple of days after the break up happened, as in a couple of weeks ago. It's as if he didn't want her back.

That was a possibility, considering who he was in comparison to her. She was a small town girl with the big ambition of becoming a paediatrician who only had some status because the men of her family had been West High heroes ever since West High existed. Troy Bolton, on the other hand, not only had status in Albuquerque because of ancestors, he had status because he was the captain of the basketball team. That meant that he had girls throwing themselves at him. She'd known that, of course, when they'd been together. But, she knew he'd stayed true. When it came to her, he was terrible at lying. But, the point was, ultimately, that he could have anyone he wanted. And she was positive that he'd be on Broadway and be an international basketball superstar. Why would he stick to the small town girl that turned him down because she wanted to be her daddy's princess?

She had no idea. But, she'd expected him to at least _try_ to go against what everyone wanted. It wasn't like they hadn't done it before. She wanted him to disobey their fathers again to try to get her back. Although, it was pretty inevitable that he was depressed again. She honestly didn't want that. Of course she didn't. She loved him more than her life. However, she had to thank his screwed up appendix. Without him nearly dying, he'd never had become depressed. Without his depression, he wouldn't have known she needed saving.

But, that didn't mean she wanted him to get depressed again. She really appreciated the comforting – "Ah!" Gabriella screamed. She was brought out of her thoughts when there were two simultaneous, rather loud, barks. She fell backwards, her eyes squeezing shut in fear. Maybe hurting herself wouldn't be so bad in comparison to how she felt. She felt terrible for lying to Greg, although he's told her he'd forgiven her. But, she was heartbroken without Troy, especially since she was the one who broke it off.

She grunted at the feel of two familiar arms, arms she'd been craving for the past few weeks, and her eyes flung open, immediately drowning in the distinctive sapphire eyes she'd fallen in love with. "Troy!" she exclaimed before she wrapped her arms around his neck and crashed her lips onto his.

He moaned against her at the sudden contact. He responded eagerly, holding her firmly against his body like a bride. He felt her tongue dance hurriedly with his own. All of the pent up love, passions and sexual frustration was all being released and they hadn't said two words to each other yet. He was feeling her. Oh, god, he was kissing her. He really was. She was here, in his arms. The kiss was more hurried than ever before but neither of them complained.

Gabriella suddenly pulled back, her chocolate eyes going wide with shock. "Troy!" she repeated as she clambered down from his arms scurried back a few feet. She glanced over to Daisy who was being happily greeted by Blitzen and then she turned back to Troy. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He shrugged sheepishly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I came to rescue you."

"So, you knew, a thousand miles away, that I'd fall out of a tree?" she asked in disbelief.

He shrugged. "I told you to be careful!" he exclaimed. "I knew you'd need rescuing."

"It was Blitzen that startled me," she muttered. "I was fine up there."

"You looked kind of tense," he said slowly.

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "I didn't realise how high it was." She sighed and walked over to him to wrap him in a tight embrace, her left cheek pressed against his cheek. "I've missed you," she admitted quietly.

Troy wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. He ran his fingers through her hair and then ran his hands down her back. "I've missed you, too." He suddenly frowned as he held her tighter to his body. "Brie," he muttered, "you've lost weight."

"I know," she cringed. "I didn't feel like eating and because my mom isn't here," she paused to pull back to look at him, "I just…didn't."

"Oh, baby Brie!" he exclaimed. "Don't go anorexic on me. You're small enough as it is."

She rolled her eyes tiredly. "I know. But, I felt so lonely here. It's been awful," she admitted as she moved away from Troy and sat on the low wall that surrounded the tree.

Troy sat down next to her. "It was? I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"You know what I mean," she whispered. "How are you?"

Troy shrugged. "Bored, depressed, bored, tired, bored and…lonely. I've barely talked."

Gabriella looked across at him. "I didn't want to walk away. But, I felt I had to. I felt like I didn't have a choice. I'm so sorry."

"It's not just you," Troy admitted quietly. "We were both stupid. You just gave up and I wouldn't run after you."

"That's why you're here," she realised. "Right?"

Troy chuckled quietly to himself. "You know, maybe I just thought I'd drive a thousand miles in my truck, almost killing her in the process, just to wander aimlessly around Stanford's campus."

Gabriella leaned against him, snaking her arms around his muscular arm. Her head fell lightly onto his shoulder. "There's that sarcasm."

Troy smiled to himself. "They're okay with it, you know," he whispered.

Gabriella sighed and let go of him to move away from him. "Troy, please," she whispered.

"What?" he asked. "They practically begged me to come up here!"

Gabriella's brow creased as the cogs in her head whirred to life. She lifted her head, staring straight ahead. It made sense: why he'd waited so long to chase after her. He didn't want to. If Greg had told Jack that she was depressed and then asked Troy to make it better… "Get into your truck and drive away," she said lowly.

"Excuse me?" Troy asked.

Gabriella threw her hands up and turned to him in disbelief. "Is that the only reason you're here? Because everyone actually wanted you to? That makes no sense but, whatever."

"Why would you think that?" Troy demanded.

"It took you this long to come and find me!" she yelled.

"Because I didn't want to interfere anymore," he shot back and got to his feet. "You chose to break up with me and do you know what I thought? I thought how it must've been terrible for you to do that. You gave up your happiness for your family. I didn't run after you right away because I will never be able to do something like that." He shrugged sheepishly. "I'm a guy and you're incredibly beautiful and amazing…I'm weak. But, you deserve so much more than me and I didn't want to force you to make that decision again. I became depressed again because I thought it was right."

Gabriella looked up at him and sighed as tears trickled over her cheeks. "I didn't know. I waited all of this time, expecting you to just fight for me and chase me like you did after the paint. But, you didn't. I thought, well, I'd convinced myself, that you didn't want me anymore."

Troy frowned and sat back down and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Gabriella, don't ever think that. I've told you before: I'll always love you. I love you more today than yesterday and I know I'll love you more tomorrow than I love you today. I'll always want you in my life. I mean, if you don't want me that's totally cool because-" he was cut off by two lips hurriedly pressing themselves against his.

Gabriella giggled against him at his lack of response. She pulled back when he completely failed to return the kiss. "You okay? You've never been one to refuse a kiss. Usually," she started softly as she snaked a hand subtly under his shirt, "you're the one to…further it."

"God, I've missed you," he muttered. "Does this mean we're together?"

She removed her hand from beneath his shirt and sighed. "Are you sure my dad's okay with it?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. Would you like to talk to him?"

After a moment of thinking it over, Gabriella nodded. "I think I will." She rested her hand on his neck and leaned closer to kiss him. "I love you."

Troy nodded. "I love you, too."

Gabriella gave him a genuine smile as she got her phone out and she pressed speed dial number two. She held it to her ear and sighed with contentment as she leaned against him. His hand slipped from her shoulder and dropped down to her waist. She felt him move the white material of her tank top aside and dipped his thumb beneath the waistband of her capris pants. She rolled her eyes to herself and released a quiet giggle. The dial tone suddenly stopped and she swallowed hard. "Daddy?"

"Princess?" Greg whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm really excellent, actually. You see, I had an interesting visitor just now. He said that you're okay with us being together," she said softly. "Is that true?"

Greg sighed. "Well, if I'm honest, not the part where you have been inappropriately intimate with a Bolton."

Gabriella groaned. "Dad! Back on track, please. I swear, I'm not pregnant. Do I have your blessing or not?"

Greg cleared his throat. "Yes. Not because of who he is but…because he'll make you happy. Remember this night, okay? I love you, princess."

Gabriella smiled to herself. "I love you, too, Daddy. This blessing, though, it includes everyone else, right? And on the East side of Albuquerque."

"Yes, sweetheart, everyone wants you together. Just enjoy tonight. I'm not going to bother to tell you not to have sex because you'll just-" He was cut off when Gabriella slid her phone down, effectively hanging up.

She suddenly released a giggle. "My dad…My dad is going crazy. But, I'm not complaining." She suddenly looked at Troy and stood up. "You do realise we have almost three weeks to catch up on."

Troy smiled to himself as he stood up and they both walked over to get their dogs. Troy picked both leashes up and handed Daisy's to Gabriella. They linked hands and began to stroll aimlessly around the quad. He subtly put his free hand into his pocket and felt the weight of the little square box. He had Greg's blessing. Greg had assured him that everyone would be behind them a hundred and ten per cent, too. Now, he just needed to get it out in the open.

"You're deep in thought," Gabriella commented as she stopped them by a wall and pushed Troy up against it, grinning up at him. "Anything interesting?"

Troy groaned at the feel of her body pushed up against his. He took his hand from his pocket and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and smiled down at her. "Only about you."

She giggled. "I'm flattered."

"Are we, you know, officially back together?" he asked.

She reached up to run her fingers through his bangs. "I wouldn't have it any other way," she whispered before she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his.

"Baby, will you do me a favour?" he asked quietly.

She nodded as she stepped away from him. "I'll do anything for you," she said softly as Daisy's leash fell to the ground.

"Great," he mumbled before he discreetly took the box from his pocket. He dropped Blitzen's leash and smiled at her as he got down on one knee, hearing a soft gasp escape the Latino girl in front of him. He brought the box out for her to see and snapped it open, revealing a silver engagement ring with a reasonable looking diamond placed in the centre. "Marry me, Gabriella," he murmured.

Gabriella frowned. They'd only been back together for ten minutes, give or take a few! Now, he was proposing? What about college? Their futures? Although, marriage didn't sound all that bad. Mrs Troy Bolton… It had a certain ring to it. And Blitzen and Daisy would be ecstatic. Not to mention that he'd be officially off limits to every other female. Maybe it was a good idea. There wouldn't be a fear of him getting depressed and they'd never be lonely ever again. Their families were okay with everything now. Or were they? Maybe Troy hadn't told them… Maybe they were only okay with them being boyfriend and girlfriend.

"My dad," she muttered almost silently.

"He knows," Troy whispered. "I asked him for his permission to ask his only daughter to marry me. He said yes. What about you?"

Tears coursed down her cheeks and a sob escaped her lips that sounded vaguely like a 'yes'. Troy couldn't be sure but the vigorous nodding of her head confirmed it. He slipped the ring onto her delicate finger before he stood up and kissed her passionately as he encased her in his arms, spinning her around. He set her back on the ground and saw her looking at her new ring. "Is it okay? Do you like it?"

She giggled and nodded. "I love it. I do. How long are you here for?" she asked, her smile slipping slightly.

Troy smirked and backed them up until her back was pushed up against the wall. "Well, you see, Brie, my truck can only cope with so much. I don't think I should drive her for a week."

"A week?" Gabriella exclaimed excitedly. "Until the end of the programme?"

Troy nodded. "Yes. My dad's sorting school out."

She pulled him down to give him a kiss. "I love you so much," she muttered against his lips as the kiss became deeper and more heated. Their tongues battled furiously for dominance and Troy's hand had already brought her bra strap away from her shoulder. She pushed him away breathlessly and he stumbled back slightly.

"What?" he released, halfway to a whine.

She giggled as she picked the two dog leashes up and gripped his hand, leading him towards a large building to their right. "I guess you have to stay with me."

"My stuff," he said and gestured half-heartedly at his truck that was still producing smoke in the distance.

Gabriella released a groan. "Get it in the morning," she decided as she pulled Troy and the two dogs into the building and up two flights of stairs.

"I can't believe they let dogs in this place," Troy mumbled.

Gabriella stopped outside of a door at the end of the corridor and released Troy's hand to dig into the pocket of her pants. She pulled out the key to her door room and fumbled with the lock and finally pushed the door open. She unhooked the leads from Blitzen and Daisy and ushered them both into her dorm room that was surprisingly large. She turned to Troy and pulled him inside. She swiftly shut the door and flicked the lock before swivelling around. Somehow, Troy wasn't exactly sure how, Gabriella managed to slip her shoes off, shut the curtains and switch her cell phone off at, more or less, the same time. She threw her cell phone down onto the bedside locker before rushing back over to the door to turn the lights on low.

"Can we get on with it now?" Troy asked impatiently. "My pants are getting uncomfortable." He grunted to himself and began unbuckling his belt.

She giggled and suddenly appeared in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled coyly up at him. "Just think…three weeks…"

Troy suddenly caught on and grinned. "We are not leaving this room all week."

"I have a class on Monday!" she exclaimed. "You can come."

A look of pure horror pasted itself on his face. "School? I come to win you back and spend a whole week with my new fiancée and suddenly I'm in Stanford's classes."

"You don't have to pay attention…just sit there with your arm around me," she whispered before she kissed him deeply, walking backwards until they fell onto the bed.

They made love slowly, a stark contrast to the hurriedness behind their kisses. Gabriella assumed that had Troy not have proposed, their lovemaking would've been hurried, too. However, Troy had proposed and they had simply been overwhelmed with their pent up love and passion they had for each other. Gabriella had told Troy that they had to be quiet because she didn't want to get caught by the dorm advisor. Surprisingly, Blitzen and Daisy had been so caught up with seeing each other again that they'd basically ignored their owners. Gabriella had blushed profusely throughout the whole thing when the realisation of how much she missed making love to Troy washed over her.

Afterward, they lay entangled together under the thin sheets. They were both still sweaty but their breathing had evened out. They'd been lying together, with Gabriella's head on his chest and his arms holding her protectively to him, for roughly half an hour and they hadn't said one word. They were happy to simply hold each other and bask in each other's afterglow.

Gabriella was drawing invisible patterns on Troy's chest and she released a sigh. "Wildcat?"

"Yeah?" he whispered.

"When you're at Berkeley…Will you call me?" she asked quietly.

"Everyday," he murmured.

"Will you visit me?"

"Whenever I can."

"Will you always love me?" she whispered, tilting her head to look at him.

"Hey, when I'm an international basketball superstar, I know where my biggest fan is," he said softly before giving her a gentle smile. "Will you come to my games?"

"Every one."

"Will you be my doctor if I hurt myself?" he asked quietly.

Gabriella paused. "Troy, if you're an idiot and break your leg, yes. But, if something's really wrong, something internally, then no. My mom has this thing about operating on her family. She doesn't. She'll fix wounds and broken limbs. But, she'll never operate. I don't want to, either. The thing is, if I get upset during the surgery and something goes wrong, I'd never forgive myself."

"It's okay, baby. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. As long as you're there, holding my hand through everything, you don't have to do anything," he murmured.

"And if I happen to just be sitting there in my underwear…" she finished sarcastically.

Troy laughed. "Well, I mean, it's all to make me better, right?"

Gabriella rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin up on his chest. "I've missed you so much. I knew I'd miss you but I didn't realise how much." She suddenly flushed a light pink and hid her face in his chest.

"Baby," he murmured, stroking her hair. "What's wrong?"

She lifted her head and sighed. "Nothing's wrong. Far from it. I was just thinking about how much I missed making love to you. I never thought I'd miss it so much. But, I did," she admitted shyly.

"My, my," Troy exclaimed, grinning like a Cheshire cat, "I never thought I'd live to see the day when Gabriella Montez-soon-to-be-Bolton was considered to be a nymphomaniac."

"I am not. I'm just saying I missed being close to you like this," Gabriella protested.

Troy laughed again. "Well, as long as you're my nymphomaniac."

"I'm not a nymphomaniac," she whined. "My dad would kill if he found out."

"Ha! So you admit it!"

"No," she muttered, "I was talking about how I missed it. For the last time, I'm not a nymphomaniac!"

"Hmmmm…I suppose. But you are a kleptomaniac. I still don't have my jacket back," he teased.

She blushed and sighed. "It smells like you," she admitted.

Troy tightened his arms around her. "But, now, you're marrying me. My smell will be all over the place."

"Hmmm…" she agreed. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he murmured, kissing her hair.

"I can't believe everyone's okay with this. Well, not _this_ but…you know what I mean. Have they seriously called a truce?" she asked.

"Well, a half-ish truce. More of a 'we're doing this because our wives told us to so that our kids will be happy'. It was quite funny, actually," he admitted.

She giggled and nodded. "I can imagine."

"I bet you never thought you'd have sex on Stanford's campus," he mumbled.

"I never thought I'd _be_ at Stanford," she confessed. "I especially never thought I'd be making love to Troy Bolton at Stanford."

He chuckled. "True. You know, our families might not get along but our friends do. And I know that they've seen the light. They know that we're happy together. They're not going to let us even consider breaking up now."

"Hmmmm…You know, I've always been a little different. I liked to do things my own way. I was the first girl to be born into the family, you know. It's always been sons. And only one at a time. So, when the doctor told my mom she was expecting twins, she was surprised. When she gave birth and I came after Carl, everyone was surprised. They'd never asked for the sexes because they'd taken it for granted that we'd both be boys. And then, my interest in basketball has always been limited. I'm not super obsessed like the rest of my family. I preferred science and English and school classes. Then I fell in love with you. I guess I've always liked to break tradition." She giggled.

He raised his eyebrows. "I'm glad you did."


	26. Alone at Stanford

**A/N: Ummm...HSMandChelseaFCfan sent this to me yesterday and I finished it last night but I wanted her to check it over and she liked it :) I hope you do, too.**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Chapter 25

For forty-eight hours straight, Troy and Gabriella had barely left Gabriella's dorm. They'd spent the whole time catching up, not just making love – although it took up most of their time - but talking about everything they'd missed out on in each other's lives since they split. Gabriella had woken up Monday morning ready for class while Troy lay on her bed and watched her change. As she was changing, her phone vibrated on the side and Troy grabbed it being right next to it.

"Who is it?" Gabriella asked, looking back through the mirror at Troy.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Your very scary best friend." He watched as she glared at him before bringing it up to his ear. "Good morning, Shar." Gabriella watched as Troy grinned at whatever her blonde friend was talking about. "Gabi is a little busy right now... Yes, Shar, we're working things out. I'm sure you'll get all the details from Gabi when she's ready to tell you. Anyway, why are you calling? I thought we agreed I would call you guys when I was finished up here." He laughed. "Well tell them to stop being fools and to leave us to it... Don't even think of mentioning that because she doesn't know yet." Troy stood up and walked over to Gabriella, wrapping his one arm around her waist from behind. "Blondie wants to ask you something."

Gabriella took the phone from her boy- wait, fiancé. She smiled inwardly as she looked at the ring sitting on her left ring finger, subconsciously playing with it as she spoke. "Hey, Shar." The brunette closed her eyes in pleasure, Troy placing gentle kisses up and down her whole throat as she tried to focus on what her friend was saying. "Yes, I'm fine. I promise. Troy and I are working through things and who knows what will happen. I gotta go, Shar. I got class. Aren't you supposed to be in one right now too?" Gabriella laughed; the noise a welcoming sound to Troy's ears having missed it these last few weeks. "Bye and Shar, thanks."

"How do you put up with such a nosy best friend?"

Gabriella turned in his arms as her lips joined his, embracing him for a few minutes. "You know she loves us really and only wants us happy. I'm guessing you didn't want her to ask about the proposal."

Troy grinned nodding. "I was thinking we could save it for when we go back home and tell them face to face. I, for some strange reason, want to see your father's reaction when he finally hears and sees his little girl is engaged. I know he gave his permission but I still think he's going to hate it." Troy's fingers looped through the belt loops of her skirt as he pulled her closer so there was no gap between them.

Trying to pull away from the young man in front of her, Gabriella pushed Troy back onto the bed so she could finish getting ready. "Troy, I'm running late as it is thanks to you keeping me in bed ten minutes longer."

He chuckled as she grabbed her cardigan and bag. "Chill, we got time."

"Yeah, but not enough time to deal with you. We'll have to figure out that one again later on tonight but first let's go. We need to see daylight, Troy."

He frowned as she grabbed his hand. "Fine but you better make it worth my while tonight."

Gabriella turned and gave him a suggestive smirk. "I always make it worth your while."

He groaned feeling his male hormones go wild at the vivid image she gave him as he followed behind not seeing the wide grin on her face.

***

Troy did as he promised Gabriella he would, sitting in her class with his arm around her while she scribbled bits down onto a piece of paper. He was practically falling asleep at all the foreign words being used to explain things, now feeling exceptionally dumb at his lack of understanding. The only thing keeping him sane was the occasional hand laid on his knee by his girl when she wasn't writing and the feel of her body so close to his again. He'd missed everything about her from her touch to her smell that he couldn't bear to even miss one second of any little part of her he could get. Placing a chaste kiss to the top of her head, he watched his fiancée turn in surprise.

Gabriella looked around before whispering. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you. Got a problem?"

She screwed up her nose as she frowned, a trademark that made her all the more adorable to Troy. "Yes. Not in public when others are around in such a close proximity."

The tan boy shook his head. "Fine."

Gabriella smiled and nodded in appreciation, turning her focus back to the lecture they were in. She tried to focus on what was being said but as soon as she was fully turned forward, she couldn't help but be self conscious of the hand that was rested on her thigh under the skirt she wore. Her eyes glanced over once at the white clock on the freshly painted wall noting she only had a few minutes remaining.

As soon as the lecture was over, Gabriella grabbed her bag and led Troy out the room, desperate to spend time alone with him. "You feel like going for some lunch to this small cafe I found?"

Troy shrugged. "Sounds good. You need me to drive?"

She shook her head. "It's within walking distance." Intertwining their fingers, Gabriella smiled at some faces she recognised and headed out the side exit of the campus grounds.

"So is this a place you've visited quite a bit whilst you've been up here?"

"Yeah one of the girls I met here showed me this place after we went out for a few hours. Not many people know of this place apparently; it's quite nice if you want to be alone for a while."

Troy lifted her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles making the girl next to him lift her head at him as his random loving gesture. "I have no idea how I'm going to last a week when you're here and I'm at Berkley. You are bound to have tons of guys after you because you're so beautiful."

Gabriella stopped and moved her free hand to his face to caress his cheek. "Hey, remember we've only just fixed things so I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon or even forever. You need not worry because this ring will certainly put a few people off me."

Troy's eyes closed as he sighed. "I'm being a stupid jealous boyfriend, aren't I?"

Gabriella let out a small giggle. "Yeah you are but I love it when my _fiancé_ gets very jealous."

Troy grinned as she pulled away and dragged him along behind her again, both knowing that as long as they put the effort in and talked to each other about everything, they'd get through hopefully anything that was thrown their way in their relationship.

***

Gabriella was snuggled up to Troy as they sat under a tree having gone for a walk around the surrounding area.

Hearing Gabriella sigh as she leaned back onto his firm chest and pulling his arms tighter around her waist, Troy spoke up. "You ok?"

"I've never been as happy as I am now. I like it when it's just us; no family, no friends, no complications. Out here, everything is just so peaceful."

"I feel the same. We'll just have to make sure we keep this place as our new secret spot." He told her before kissing her bare shoulder. To them, they didn't need to do anything fancy for their day to be perfect, all they needed was each other which is precisely what they had. And to them, it was bliss.

* * *

Gabriella groaned into Troy's bare chest when her cell phone started ringing. "Remind me again why _I _have to keep my cell phone on?"

After Gabriella's last lecture, they'd gone back to her dorm room to drop her books off and to get Blitzen and Daisy to take them for a walk and to then grab some dinner. They'd sat outside, because of the two dogs, and watched the setting sun. It wasn't long before Troy had got impatient and had started to massage her inner thigh. They'd hurried back to her dorm room and had stumbled through the door, their lips locked in a passionate kiss, before they started practically ripping the clothes from the other's body. They'd only just made it to the bed before they were making love again.

"Because," Troy started as he reached for the vibrating phone, "we both know what your dad is like. He just wants to make sure his princess is okay." He gave the phone to her. "I mean, who knows what we could be getting up to." He smirked down at her.

She rolled her eyes and slid the phone up, holding it to her ear. "Hi, Carl. How are you?"

Troy saw her eyes light up when she heard her twin brother's voice. He slid his arm tighter around her waist and felt the length of her naked body touch the length of his. "Hey Carl," he said into the phone.

Gabriella smiled and snuggled further into Troy's embrace. "Yes, he's here, yes, we're in my dorm room…Carl. Stop it…Please, we're not idiots, I'm not pregnant. I'm saving that for way in the future after college and maybe after medical school."

"And after we're married," Troy put in for good measure.

"Hey Daddy," she whispered and pushed the blanket away, twisting out of Troy's arms. She held the phone between her ear and shoulder as she pulled one of Troy's shirts on and wandered over to the window. "Yeah, I am. I'm looking forward to coming back. I've really missed everybody…Yeah, I miss you, too."

Troy leaned back on her bed and sighed to himself. God, how he loved her. She was so amazing in everything she did. All he honestly wanted was for her to be happy even if he got depressed again. But, he'd seen what had happened to her while they'd been away from each other. He knew it wouldn't happen again and nobody back home was brave enough to break them up again. They were safe. They could finally be together. But, he knew he wasn't the number one guy in her life. He knew he never had been. That would always be Greg.

"Yeah, I will," she whispered and perched herself on the window ledge. "Tell Mama I love her. Everyone else, too…I know, Daddy." She rolled her eyes. "Daddy, I'm eighteen. I'm grown up now, I'm allowed to make love to whoever I want. Don't worry, I'm not pregnant." She laughed quietly to herself and nodded. "Love you, too, Daddy." She slid her phone shut and closed her eyes, breathing out deeply.

Noticing her quietness, Troy climbed out of bed and pulled his boxers on. He walked over to her and perched next to his fiancée, slipping his hand into hers. "You miss him, don't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's weird being away from home. You'll know what it's like when you go to Berkeley. You live your whole life thinking you don't take your parents for granted but, then you move away and you have to feed yourself, clean your place for yourself…" She turned to him. "And do your own laundry."

He raised his eyebrows. "Not going to happen. Why do you think I asked you to marry me?"

She gasped and ran back over to her bed, looking across at him. "What if I don't want to do your laundry?"

He smirked and wandered back over to her, watching as she placed her cell phone on the bedside cabinet. He climbed over her, glancing at her body that was only covered by his shirt and then looked back to her face. "I guess I'll have to punish you."

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and brought him down for a kiss. "You know," she muttered breathlessly as he moved down to her neck, "my family's going to kill you."

"Hmmm…" He lifted his head. "Why? What have I done now?"

"They know what we're doing. Besides, we're making love so much, they're going to notice how tired I am," she exclaimed.

He smiled down at her and took a shaking hand to stroke her forehead, her cheek and then rested on her neck. "I love you so much." A tear dripped down his cheek. He laughed shakily for a moment. "And all I ever want is to see you smile. Keep that beautiful smile on your face and I know that everything's going to be okay."

"It will," she whispered as a tear leaked from her eye. She ran her hands down his sides and pushed his boxers down. "Make love to me," she whispered.

He chuckled lowly as he tugged his shirt from her petite body. "Like you have to ask. Don't you have homework, Miss Montez?"

"Later," she murmured impatiently. She wrapped her arms back around his neck and pulled him back against her body. "Please," she whimpered helplessly into his ear.

They made love quickly, knowing that Gabriella did, indeed, have homework to complete. Afterward, Gabriella lay breathless, her eyes closed. Troy caught his breath quicker than Gabriella and kissed her forehead. He wrapped one arm around her bare stomach and used his free hand to stroke her forehead. He chuckled when she opened her eyes. "You okay?"

She nodded tiredly. "That's it. No more tonight. I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's okay. I think my hardware would fail if we do it again tonight," he joked.

She smiled up at him. She reached up and stroked his cheek. "I love you."

He kissed her nose softly. "I love you, too."

"You know," she whispered as her fingers began dancing over his face, touching his nose, forehead, cheek and finally his lips, "I look at you sometimes and wonder how you exist."

"You can talk," he murmured.

She giggled weakly. "I guess."

Troy continued to stroke her hair and forehead and tightened his arm around her stomach. "Did you mean what you said to Carl?" he asked quietly.

She frowned and slid her hand down to intertwine her fingers with his that were resting on her stomach. "What did I say to Carl?"

"You want kids?" he asked, his voice cracking.

She blushed gently and looked away. She sighed and nodded. "Yeah." She turned back to him and bit her lip. "I really, truly want to be a mom. Ever since I was a little girl, surrounded by my brothers. I mean, it's not my priority because of college and then I want to marry you."

Troy smiled slightly. "You'll be a great mother, you know. I'd love to be the father of your children."

She glanced down at her stomach. "Our children will be in there one day."

He nodded slowly. "I know." He slowly stroked the skin of her stomach with his thumb. "When you broke up with me, everyone kept asking me if you were pregnant. I mean, I said no. But, it got me thinking. What if you were? What would it be like? Everyone would think it would be a mistake. I wouldn't think like that. To have a baby with you…I'd love it."

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she nodded. "I know."

Troy kissed her gently, feeling everything he was – his personality, his dreams, his future and his past – all flow into that kiss. He pulled back and laughed softly. "You never have to be alone, okay? I won't let that happen."

She gave him a watery smile and nodded. "'Kay."

"And all I really know is that I love you. When you're ready, and when we have the money, we'll get married. Greg will walk you, however reluctantly, down the aisle. You'll wear a beautiful white dress, we'll get married at the church by West and then we'll go to Paris for three weeks. I promise," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

She bit her lip. "That sounds perfect. I like it."

"Yeah? Well, it's ours. Think about it, Brie. I know I do. Being a Laker and on Broadway never occurs to me because when I look into my future, all I see is you," he murmured.

She grinned up at him and wrapped her arms around him once again. "Good. That's where I want to be," she whispered before pulling him in for a kiss.


	27. Back Home

**A/N: Well, we hope you like it. HSMandChelseaFCfan is going to start working on chapter 27 ASAP!!! Ummm...for UK people, Hannah Montana: the movie, the DVD comes out on 7th Sept. and Nicholas Sparks' book 'The Last Song' (the one turning into a movie with Miley Cyrus) is out 10th Sept.**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Troy looked over at his fiancée and sighed as he pulled the key out of the ignition. He sighed softly and reached over to touch her hair. She looked so adorable. She was curled up on the passenger seat, her back resting against the door so she was facing him. She was wearing a pair of denim Capri pants, one of his shirts and his jacket. So she wouldn't get too warm on the journey back to Albuquerque, he'd had the air conditioning on full. He'd been practically shivering but he didn't care. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she looked so gorgeous, as always. She was sleeping.

They'd left Stanford early on the Saturday morning, hoping to get back to Albuquerque early evening and still spend some time with their friends and family. And, as predicted by the genius that was his fiancée, they had arrived at the Montez household just after six in the evening. He knew that everyone was there, he could see the crowd through the window and he could practically hear the chatter and excitement of everyone.

His handed continued to stroke her hair but she made no reaction but twisting to him so he was stroking her cheek instead. He knew everyone would be firing questions at Gabriella and knew that, Carl and Greg especially, her family would be over the moon to have her back. He hoped that their families would be accepting of the new engagement. He supposed that they'd have to be; everyone had seen the damage the split up had caused to both Troy and Gabriella and everyone else had suffered because of it.

He didn't know how long it would be until the wedding but knew that it wouldn't be for at least a year. He knew how much Gabriella's college career meant to her and he didn't want her to give that up for a wedding that would, inevitably, happen at some point. If he had it his way, they'd start planning immediately so they could be married as soon as possible. He wanted to be able to introduce her as 'My wife, Gabriella' not his fiancée.

He had no doubt that Gabriella was right: the engagement ring would certainly put off a few guys. However, she was still remarkably beautiful and knew that other guys thought the same. He didn't want her to find someone better. He knew it wouldn't be that difficult. He wasn't all that smart; he got way too jealous when other guys looked at her and he was selfish when it came to her. But, he had faith in her and knew she wouldn't ever be unfaithful and knew how much she loved him.

The rest of the week at Stanford University had been pretty much the same as the first weekend. Gabriella had gone through the rest of her classes with Troy's arm around her. They hadn't made love quite as much as the first few days because Troy knew that it was having an effect on Gabriella, making her truly tired. However, they had made love at least once everyday. As Gabriella was returning to Stanford in September, there wasn't any need to bring all of her belongings back to Albuquerque.

Troy looked over at the backseat, checking up on Blitzen and Daisy who had woken up at the halt of the truck. Troy and Gabriella's bags were crammed into the foot well of the backseat as the two dogs took up the whole of the seat. They had been so well behaved for the entire week, Troy wondered why he'd never thought of finding Blitzen a mate. Daisy kept him so occupied, he barely bothered Troy at all.

He sighed as he turned back to Gabriella, his hand still making soothing motions on her cheek. He unfastened his seatbelt. He needed to wake her up. He knew that everyone would be getting impatient. He dropped his hand from her cheek and chuckled when she whimpered to herself. He leaned over to her and began to wake her up in the gentlest way he could: he began placing gentle kisses along her exposed neck and collarbone. He nibbled gently on her skin as he rested one hand on her waist and the other on the door of the truck, caging her in.

She groaned and slowly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her. "Troy, no marks, please," she murmured tiredly.

Troy lifted his head from her neck and smiled down at her as her eyes fluttered open. "Hello Sleeping Beauty."

She giggled tiredly. "Sorry. I can't help it. I fall asleep on long journeys in cars. How did this thing make it back to Albuquerque?"

"Stop referring to her as a thing!" Troy protested. He shrugged. "I have no idea."

She smiled up at him. "You could've let me sleep."

He shook his head. "I know your father and he'll want to see his princess."

She nodded and pulled him down for a kiss. "I love you," she muttered into his mouth.

He smiled against her lips. "I love you, too," he muttered as the hand that was resting on her waist moved beneath his shirt she was wearing to gently cup her breast.

She suddenly pulled back. "Troy!" she exclaimed in shock.

He smirked as he removed his hand. "What?" he murmured as he leaned forward to press his lips softly to the spot just behind her ear, knowing it drove her wild.

She gasped in pleasure. "Troy, please. I'm tired and I don't want to do stuff in the cab of your truck."

He pulled back and looked at her thoughtfully. "If my truck was parked in a deserted parking lot without Blitzen and Daisy and your parents' house about twenty yards away, would you reconsider?"

She smiled flirtatiously up at him. "Of course I would. When have we managed to be alone without something happening?"

He chuckled. "Well, I'll hold you to that. You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She leaned up slightly to look over Troy's shoulder. "Daisy, you okay, Baby?"

Daisy sat up and barked quietly.

Gabriella smiled in satisfaction and turned to Troy. "I guess we should go in."

"I'm going to miss this, you know," he murmured as he brushed some hair from her forehead.

She frowned and crinkled her nose. "Miss what?"

"_This_. Being together. Just us. You know? Living together." He kept his eyes locked on hers as he moved his hand to her cheek. "Do you want to move in with me?"

"What?" Gabriella asked in surprise. "How? I mean, you live with your parents."

"I know. But, it's the closest thing we've got. I mean, we can ask. We'll set up rules, agree to their rules. It's simple. I mean, we're getting married. I'm sorry. I'll stop rambling now." He looked away from her.

She reached up to brush his bangs away from his eyes, gaining his attention. "Troy, stop it. I'd love to live with you. I truly would. You know I would. But, do you think my dad is going to let me live in the Bolton household after spending three weeks in California? I think not."

Troy sighed. "I guess that's understandable. I spent three weeks away from you and it was torture. And my parents would kill me if I didn't spend time with them. Oh well. I'll still see you everyday. If you think I'm going a day without you, you've got another thing coming, Missy." He poked her stomach.

She giggled. "Well, good. I don't want to go a day without you, either."

"Come on, let's go." He pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Allons-y," Gabriella murmured.

Troy climbed out of the truck and then jumped over the bed of the truck to open Gabriella's door. "What?"

"It's French," she explained. "The Doctor says it a lot." She allowed him to wrap his arms around her waist and help her to climb down.

"Doctor who?" he muttered.

"That's it!" she cried when she was on the ground, her hands gripping his shoulders.

He shut her door. "What's it?"

"_Doctor Who_. The tenth doctor played by David Tennant. He says allons-y. It's French for 'let's go'. I know, I know, I'm a nerd for liking an English sci-fi series but…" She looked at the ground in embarrassment.

He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "Yeah…" He chuckled when she looked up in shock. "As long as you're my nerd."

She grinned up at him and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. "But, of course."

He tightened his arms around her and spun her around. He set her on the floor and winked at her. "Good." He let go of her and pulled the back door open to allow Blitzen and Daisy to jump down.

Daisy immediately jumped up at Gabriella and the young woman knelt down to fuss her. "I know, Baby. It was a long trip, wasn't it? I know. Hey, you want to see Carl? He's inside. Come on. Let's go." She glanced up at Troy. "Allons-y."

He rolled his eyes as he locked his truck. "We'll get our bags later. How many languages do you speak?"

"Well," Gabriella started as she stood up, "English, obviously, and Spanish and French. Now come on. I want to see everybody and Shar will be begging me for details."

"Details?" Troy asked quietly.

She flushed a pink and licked her lips. "Not that kind of details. That's between you and me. But, she did guess that I thought you were amazing."

"Do you mean amazing or…_amazing_?" he asked.

"_Amazing_," she murmured.

He grasped her hands and he kissed her knuckles. "The feeling's mutual. The last week has been…heavenly."

She blushed and tugged on his hand. "Come on." She whistled and Blitzen and Daisy followed them towards the door. She pushed the door open and ushered the dogs in before she pulled Troy into her house. She shut the door quietly and inhaled deeply. It smelt like home.

"Gabriella? Troy?" Maria called.

Gabriella released Troy's hand and ran through the hall towards the lounge. "Mama," she cried as she hugged Maria tightly.

"Mi hija," Maria whispered as she returned her daughter's embrace. "Oh, Gabi, I've missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"Gabi," she said sternly as she pulled back, "you're thinner. Have you been eating?"

Gabriella shuffled her feet, looking like a naughty child. "Sorry, Mama. I just…It was only the first two weeks. I felt better when Troy came. He's been making sure I eat. I just didn't see the point. I'm sorry. I'm eating now."

"Do you want something to eat now? Are you hungry? I have some lasagne for you," she offered.

Gabriella's face lit up. "Really? I'd love some. Yes please." Maria excused herself and moved into the kitchen.

Gabriella was suddenly pulled into a bone crushing hug by Sharpay. "I'm so glad you're back," she squealed excitedly.

Gabriella patted the blonde's back. "I missed you, too, Shar," she muttered, "but, I think Troy would like me to breathe."

Sharpay released the smaller girl and grinned. "Zeke and Carl are driving me crazy. Anyway, how was Stanford?"

"That depends if you mean Stanford," she paused to draw Sharpay closer, "or _Stanford_." She giggled with Sharpay but was, once again, brought into another hug. She hugged each of her friend's, even Troy's, and then each of her brothers before she reached Carl who was sat on an armchair, stroking Daisy's fur.

He lifted his head and smiled up at her. "Hey, Bells. You okay?"

She shrugged. "Oh, you know, same ol', same ol'. Went to Stanford, get visited by my entire family's worst enemy, proclaiming his love for me then feel much better and even manage to correct some of Stanford's top professors in their lectures."

He grinned as he got to his feet and hugged her tightly. "That's my Bella." He pulled back. "Seriously, though, are you better?"

"I made sure of that," Troy said from his position in Lucille's arms.

"Good. Keep it that way, Bolton," he said sternly.

Gabriella spent a little while longer talking to Carl about everything and eventually found out that he was now going out with a cheerleader, Stacy Newman. As it was, she was an old friend of the Montez family and Gabriella had no doubt that they'd be happy together. Stacy was attending U of A so Gabriella knew Carl wouldn't miss her as much.

She finally turned around and frowned. "Where's Daddy?"

Maria came in with a plate of lasagne and a knife and fork. She handed them to her daughter. "He went outside. I think you should talk to him."

Gabriella nodded and took her lasagne and cutlery out to the back yard and saw Greg shooting hoops. Gabriella sat down cross-legged on a wooden bench swing and settled the plate on her lap. She chewed a mouthful of lasagne as she watched her father. "Not too upset that I'm back?" she called jokingly.

Greg let the basketball roll away as he turned to his daughter. He made his way over to her and sat next to her, staring out over the yard. "I wouldn't ever," he whispered. "Did you have fun?"

Gabriella thought about it. "It was better once Troy was there. I don't suppose that's what you want to hear but it's true. The classes were really great, though."

"I see you said yes," he muttered.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah, I did. I'm sorry, Daddy."

Greg turned to her. "You're okay, sweetheart. It's fine. I know you love him."

"With all my heart," she whispered.

He smiled. "I know. So, anyway, was Stanford as good as you expected?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yes, it was brilliant. I loved it." She saw his smile falter and touched his arm. "I'll come back. I promise. What I said when you found out…I didn't mean that."

"Really?" Greg asked.

She nodded. "Of course I will. I promise. I'll just…You know, be with Troy. Besides, I'll come home for summer, Christmas, Thanksgiving…Whenever I can. As good as California was, this is my home."

Greg wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "Good."

Gabriella finished her lasagne and then stood up, her plate in her hand. "Come on. I want to tell everyone and it would mean a lot to me if you were there."

Greg stood up. "Fine. But, you know, if he hurts you, you can always tells me."

She rolled her eyes. "Like I'd tell you if a guy had hurt me. Come on."

Greg smiled as he followed her through to the lounge. "I hope you're happy together," he whispered.

She set the empty plate on the dining room table and turned to him. "Daddy, we are, okay? I guess I like to break traditions, huh?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah." He kissed her forehead and glanced over her shoulder at Troy who was talking animatedly to Carl, Kelsi, Landon and Sharpay. "Go on. Tell them."

"Does Mom know?" Gabriella asked.

Greg shook his head. "No. No one does. Just me. I didn't think it was my place to say. Now go on."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she whispered before weaving her way through the crowd and sat down on Troy's lap. She kissed his cheek and smiled at him.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Are you ready?"

Troy nodded and they both stood up. "Guys?" he called. "Guys! Quiet!" He nodded to himself and wrapped an arm tightly around Gabriella's waist.

"We have some news," Gabriella started. She rolled her eyes when Carl went to speak. "Shut up, Carl."

Carl cowered back. "Sorry."

Troy shook his head. "Whatever. Anyway, um," he looked at all of their friends and family surrounding them, "we're getting married."

They were immediately pulled apart, being ambushed by their friends and family. The girls were surrounding Gabriella, gushing over her ring, and all of the boys were congratulating Troy and warning him that he'd better not hurt her. Troy glanced over at his fiancée and smiled when their eyes connected. He winked at her and chuckled when she blushed and turned back to the girls. He turned back to the guys and grinned brightly at his friends. "Okay, guys, stop it. I'm bruised enough!" Troy exclaimed.

Chad chuckled. "Okay, okay. We'll stop. Anyway, I've got to say, despite her being a Knight and all, she's quite a catch."

Carl hit Chad's head. "Hey!"

Troy chuckled. "Ignore him."

Gabriella looked over the heads of her friends and frowned. She excused herself and went back out to the yard to see Greg shooting baskets. "He shoots and he scores," she called in a commentator's voice.

Greg caught the ball and turned to her. "You should be celebrating."

She shrugged as she walked over to him and took the basketball from him. "It can wait." She spun the ball around on her finger and glanced at him. "Are you okay with it?" She shot the basketball towards the hoop and watched as it soared through the net.

Greg nodded as he went to retrieve the ball. "Of course. You're happy. That's all that matters. I promise. And I'll walk you down the aisle." He smiled to himself as he shot a basket. "I can't believe my one little girl is going to become a Bolton."

"It's not that bad," she exclaimed jokingly. "It could be worse. I could, you know, marry one of The Backstreet Boys. Guys that wear make-up."

Greg went to get the ball and chest-passed it to her. "I guess you're right. At least Bolton likes to play ball and he doesn't wear make-up."

Gabriella giggled. "I told you it could be worse." She began dribbling the ball with a practiced ease and jumped, shooting another basket.

Greg furrowed his brow as he watched her. At the same time, he remembered when she was four years old and she had managed to bounce a basketball for the first time without the help of Greg. He'd lifted her up in celebration and allowed her to drop the ball through the net for the first time. He'd hugged her to his body, so tiny and innocent. And still his. He hadn't noticed. He watched as she giggled to herself and continued to shoot basket, her long, black, curly hair flying around her like waves. She was obviously taller but he doubted that she'd grow any more. She wasn't the four year old girl who needed his help to shoot a basket anymore. She was a beautiful young woman with her whole life ahead of her. It just so happened that he wasn't the centre of that life.

Gabriella suddenly appeared in front of him, barely breathless and smiling brightly at him. "You're deep in thought."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. I was thinking about you. I think one of the reasons that I was so reluctant to approve your relationship is because you're my only daughter. I keep thinking of you when you were four. You shot your first basket that day, with my help, of course. It's hard to believe. You don't need my help anymore."

"Of course I do, Daddy. Just because I'm getting married doesn't change anything. I'm still your little girl and I'll always want you to help me win when I'm in the middle of an argument with one of my brothers. You know that," she said softly.

He laughed quietly. "You don't remember. Later that night, I was telling you and Carl a story. Remember when you shared a room? I don't even know what the story was about. That doesn't matter. You said you wanted to marry me because of how happy I'd made your mom." He paused and frowned. "Then Carl got in a strop about how you didn't want to marry him and…yeah. But, when I saw you with Troy, I realised that you're not that girl anymore. You haven't been for years. I just couldn't bear to think about you marrying someone."

Gabriella smiled slightly. "Sounds like me. You know I can't marry you, right?" she joked. "In all seriousness, no one can replace you. You're still my daddy and I'll always be your princess. I promise."

Greg nodded. "Okay. Love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered.

They were interrupted by the clearing of a throat. They turned to see Jack standing at the edge of the basketball court. "Is it okay if I talk to Gabriella?"

Greg nodded and kissed his daughter's forehead. "I'll see you inside. I want to talk to Troy, anyway."

"Daddy!" Gabriella protested.

"I'm not going to hurt him. We're just going to talk," he exclaimed before walking inside.

Gabriella looked up at Jack and smiled slightly. "So, what's up?"

He gestured to the basketball. "You any good?"

Gabriella laughed. "Good? You think just because I'm a girl, I can't dribble circles around you. You're forgetting my last name."

Jack rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up and loosened his tie. "Okay, before we get serious, I want to know how much of a chance my grandkids have of being talented in basketball."

"You're on," Gabriella exclaimed.

They played for roughly five minutes and it ended with a tie. They sat down on the wooden bench swing, laughing. "Well, you've got game. I'll give you that."

Gabriella rested the ball in her lap and sighed. "Like I said: I'm a Montez. Just because I don't want basketball to run my life doesn't mean I'm not good at it or I don't enjoy it."

"So, you're going to be my daughter-in-law. I wasn't expecting that. I didn't even know Troy was planning it! But, he's happy. That's the main thing. And Lucille threatened to divorce me if I didn't act like I accepted it," he muttered.

Gabriella giggled. "I didn't plan to fall in love with him. I just did."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, he said the same. At least I know you're not using him. He's always been unsure simply because of who he is, forgetting his popularity at school."

Gabriella nodded with understanding. "I know what it's like. It happened to me, too. I mean, I wasn't meant to be popular. I'm a science geek. I always have been, always will be. But, because of my name and my brothers, guys wanted to go out with me. I knew Troy didn't want me because of my brothers. I mean, that's kind of stupid on his part."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah. I guess. But, he's happy. You know, when we said we wanted him to run after you, he leapt off of the sofa to go and have a shower. It was quite funny. I just want you to know that I'd be proud to call you my daughter-in-law."

Gabriella smiled at him and sighed. "I never thought about my father-in-law. I mean, I dreamt about who I'd marry all the time. But, never about my in-laws. I never even considered you."

Jack laughed. "You didn't need to. All I can say is welcome to the family."

Gabriella smiled. "That means a lot coming from you."

Greg and Troy suddenly emerged from the house, laughing wildly with each other. "She didn't do that!" Troy exclaimed.

Gabriella giggled. "What are you two talking about?"

"Did you honestly refuse to put anything under your bed because you believed your imaginary friend, Aladdin, lived there?" Troy laughed.

"Daddy!" Gabriella cried.

Greg shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, mi hija."

"Aladdin was great friend," Gabriella defended. She got to her feet and threw the basketball at Troy who caught it easily. "You may laugh but he's still looking out for me like he did when I was four."

Troy chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I'm sure."

She rolled her eyes. "Then, stop laughing."

Troy threw the basketball to Jack and kissed her forehead. "Okay. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Gabriella nodded and smiled up at him. "Of course."

Troy began leading her away, to the far end of the garden. They stood at the waist-high wooden fence, looking over the field of crops behind the Montez house. His arm was still wrapped tightly around her waist and she snuggled into him more, resting a hand on his chest. "You happy to be home?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I am. I mean, it was fantastic and I loved it. But, I missed everybody. I missed this place. I missed the simplicity of life here. In California everyone was rushing, going somewhere all of the time. Yes, I am happy to be home."

He smiled down at her. "Good." He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Because we can live together."

Gabriella looked up at him in shock. "What?"

"That's what your father and I were discussing. Your parents and my parents, well my dad doesn't know yet, agreed that we could share rooms. Work it evenly. One week here, one week at mine. Yes, it means going across town every weekend but, Brie, we get to be together," he explained.

Her eyes were wide and she beamed up at him, flinging her arms around his neck. Troy picked her up from the ground and they both laughed happily. She moved her head to look into his eyes. "Are you serious?"

"I asked. I figured the worst they could say was no but after everything we've been through, how could they keep us apart? They also knew that if they didn't allow us to live together, one of us would just sneak out anyway. But, no sex while they're in the house. That's all they want which is understandable," he commented.

She nodded with understanding. "If we really can't cope, we still have Shar's cabin."

Troy grinned and kissed her nose. "Exactly. They knew they couldn't totally forbid they just don't want it happening with people in the house."

She leaned down and kissed him passionately, feeling his arms tighten around her. He was still holding her up from the floor so, for once, he wasn't hurting his neck by kissing her. Their tongues danced slowly together, knowing fully well that their fathers were at the other end of the yard but doubted they were paying attention to their children. "I love you," she whispered breathlessly when they pulled back. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she smiled down at him. "I wouldn't change one second of our time together."

"Me neither," he murmured. He set her on the ground and kissed her forehead. "I wouldn't change anything at all. At the beginning, I wondered why you had to be a Montez. But, I don't want you to be anyone else because Gabriella Montez is the girl I fell in love with."

She stroked his cheek and nodded. "And I fell in love with Troy Bolton."

He pulled her closer to his body and rested one hand on the back of her head and the other on her back. "I love you so much, Brie."

She pulled back and leaned up to kiss him softly. "I love you, too. You've got to meet all of my family. They'll want to meet you."

"You mean the nieces and nephews that peed and pooped on you?" he asked wearily.

She nodded. "Yeah. You need to."

He shrugged. "Okay. There's not all that much to my family. Mom, Dad, Uncle Mike, Auntie Lynn and their kids, Grandpa and Grandma Harkness, and Grandpa and Grandma Bolton. That's it, really. But, they'd love to meet you, of course they would."

"Hey, kids, you want to play two on two?" Jack called.

Troy and Gabriella laughed and ran over to join their fathers. Gabriella inhaled deeply and the scent of Troy filled her up. She grabbed the ball from Jack and spun it on her finger. "What's it going to be? Old versus young…or Bolton versus Montez?" Gabriella challenged.

They all glanced at each other before answering simultaneously. "Bolton versus Montez."

Troy nudged Gabriella. "Game on."

"Oh, it's on like cheese on Mama's lasagne," Gabriella shot back.

"I wouldn't challenge her too much, son," Jack warned.

Troy smirked down at the smaller girl. "I think I can cope."

"Game on, Wildcat," Gabriella murmured.

They played a strong, competitive lesson until Jack and Greg walked away, realising that their children were more determined than they were. Troy had been shocked at Gabriella's talent. He'd known she'd be good but not _that _good. The only thing holding Gabriella back was her height and, even then, she used her brain to calculate the correct angle and force, so she made a basket pretty much every time. Troy rested the ball on his hip and sighed. "Okay, don't you think we should go in?"

She rolled her eyes. "You want this to end just because you're scared of losing to me."

"I'm winning!" he exclaimed.

"By one point," Gabriella shot back.

Troy found it kind of comical. It was the first time he'd ever seen Gabriella without her usual shyness and innocence and figured it was because of the court they were standing on. "But, I'm still winning."

Gabriella glared and snatched the ball from under his arm. She began giggling and moving backwards, towards the opposite basket.

Troy laughed. "No, that's travelling. That's really bad travelling!" He grinned as he dashed towards her. He smiled to himself when she squealed and ran towards her. Although she tried to run away, he caught her easily around the waist from behind and spun her around.

She laughed out loud and squirmed in his arms until he set her on the floor. She dropped the basketball and turned to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "You underestimated me, didn't you?"

He slid his hands into the back pockets of her pants and pulled her flush against his body. "Would I ever?"

"You so did," she protested. "At the beginning, you just- Hmmmm…" She sighed gently against his lips as he kissed her softly.

He pulled back and smiled down at her. "Okay, okay, I didn't expect you to be that good. You keep surprising me, Miss Montez."

She shrugged. "I'm full of surprises."

He kissed her nose. "I like surprises."

She giggled. "I bet you do. Wildcat, I'm liking the future now I know you're there."

He rested his forehead on hers. "The feelings are mutual."


	28. Engagement Party

**A/N: HSMandChelseaFCfan sent this to me ages ago but I only just finished it. I hope you like it**

**Don't own HSM x

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Chapter 27

A few days after their arrival home, Troy and Gabriella found themselves surrounded by people at the Montez household. They'd had so little time together as their families and friends had wanted to some spend time catching up on the specific details of Gabriella's time at Stanford. Taking a few minutes to themselves before having to go socialise, Troy and Gabriella found themselves lying peacefully on Gabriella's bed, limbs intertwined, as Daisy and Blitzen lay in the corner of the room in Daisy's bed, Blitzen's head resting on her back quietly.

"So graduation is next week." Troy started up conversation, running his hand up and down Gabriella's arm sending tingles through her veins.

Cuddling closer she sighed, "I know it's probably weird but I'm nervous."

Troy looked down at her concerned. "Why?"

"I guess it's just that the thought of actually finishing high school for good scares me. I mean it's hard enough to stay in touch with my friends now so when we're in completely different states, how will it work. It's almost like when we graduate it's the final piece in the puzzle before I move away from my family; my safety net. It's not that I don't want to leave but it just scares me. Plus the thought of all those eyes on me."

Troy pulled the girl in his arms tighter into his embrace. "Well don't think about all those people. Your parents will be there and so will all your brothers and family along with Shar, Ryan and Zeke. You'll be fine and you know that no matter what happens, we'll all always love you."

Before they could continue, a knock interrupted them. "Come in."

Carl walked in with one of their nephews on his hip. "Mom said you guys need to come down because Aunt Josie and Uncle Leon are here with the grandparents."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she pulled herself up while Troy hesitated. "Come on, don't be a wimp. My family isn't that scary."

"Baby, you father wanted to practically murder me when he found out we were together. What if the rest of your family don't think I'm good enough for you?"

Carl and Gabriella exchanged a smirking glance at each other knowing their family and their past experience of family reunions. "Dude, you can't get any worse than Sharpay so you'll be fine. If not, I'm sure Shar would be willing to come scare them for you."

Troy laughed at the thought as he walked over to the siblings. "I would like to meet one person who isn't scared of Sharpay's bad side."

Gabriella laced their hands together and led him downstairs and out into the back yard where her family were gathering. "Grandpa!"

Watching as his fiancée wrapped her arms around an elder looking man, Troy followed behind and went to stand next to Greg who was with the man and a woman - whom he presumed were Greg's parents – along with another couple. "How's my favourite granddaughter doing?"

"I'm your only granddaughter, Grandpa." Gabriella giggled as she moved to the woman at his side. "How you doing, Grandma? Grandpa been keeping you on your toes?"

The old woman chuckled. "Oh my sweet child, you know me too well."

Greg rolled his eyes; his daughter had everyone literally wrapped around her little finger. "Princess, I think you forgot someone."

Laughing, the young brunette moved from between the elderly couple and back to Troy. "Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Leon and Aunt Josie, I would like to introduce you to my fiancée, Troy Bolton. Troy, meet Grandma and Grandpa Montez and Aunt Josie and Uncle Leon." She introduced.

"It's nice to meet you all." Troy smiled as Greg patted him on the shoulder in reassurance, a symbolic gesture that filled Gabriella's heart with joy at seeing.

"So you're the young man that has captured my granddaughter's heart? And what are your intentions with her?"

"Yes, sir. I intend to make her as happy as she should be, sir."

"Dad," Greg said in a warning tone. "Don't interrogate the poor lad."

Gabriella laughed. "Yeah daddy already did that part and scared him off once." Troy rolled his eyes as the others laughed.

Greg grinned, "Only because I needed to know he wouldn't hurt you. After all, he is a Bolton."

"Daddy," This time it was Gabriella her spoke with a warning tone in her voice.

Shaking his head at her, he smiled, "I know, I know. It doesn't matter he's a Bolton since you're going to become one eventually. Anyway, I know Troy will protect you just as much, if not more than I would."

"So Gabi, before this escalates, how did you two meet? I want all the details and then I want to see the ring." Walking off with her Grandmother and Aunt, Troy shook his head as Carl headed his way once again.

"Seeing as my sister seems to be too busy gathering attention from telling stories, I better introduce you to the rest of us." It was true; Gabriella was now surrounded by her mom, other older women and some of the people she'd already pointed out as cousins.

Troy laughed. "Thanks, Carl."

***

Troy suddenly felt a very small, albeit familiar, body collide with his back as Gabriella jumped onto him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He quickly rebalanced Hannah, one of Gabriella's nieces, who had been originally balanced on his hip. "Hey, Brie," he murmured. "You okay Hannah?"

Hannah sucked her thumb and nodded, still fairly shy around the strange man. "Why dith Aufie Gavi jump onfu you?" **(A/N: Why did Auntie Gabi jump onto you? Btw, she was still sucking her thumb)**

"Because she's crazy like Uncle Carl," Troy replied. He lifted a finger to his lips. "Don't tell him I said that. Shhh…"

Hannah copied his action with her other hand. "Shhhh…"

He smiled and brushed some dark hair, clearly something that ran in the Montez genes, away from her brown eyes. Since the moment he'd seen her, he'd decided that that was what Gabriella had looked like when she was younger. "Hey, Hannah, do you think Auntie Gabi should get down from Uncle Troy?"

Hannah nodded slowly, still sucking her thumb.

Gabriella frowned as she climbed down from his back. "You're no fun," she whined.

"I'm loads of fun. Just ask Hannah. Right Hannah?" He turned to the little girl.

Hannah, suddenly much more confident now that Gabriella was present, stopped sucking her thumb and pouted. "Auntie Gabi!" she exclaimed.

"Hey!" Troy protested.

Hannah giggled and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're funny," she said quietly.

Troy could tell by the way she relaxed against his body that she was tired. He rested a hand on her back and began rocking back and fore. "Let me see if I get this right: she's Danny's and Leanne's, right?"

Gabriella grinned and nodded. "Yeah. She is." She paused and looked at him. "She loves you."

"She barely talked to me until you came along," he mumbled.

"She's like that with everyone," Gabriella explained. "I mean, she needs to get used to you. But, the fact she's falling asleep in your arms. Usually, she gets stroppy and throws a tantrum until either Danny or Leanne come and see to her."

Troy chuckled and he moved the hand from Hannah's back to wrap around Gabriella's waist to bring her closer. "God, I love you. You'll be a great mom."

She blushed and kissed his cheek – she'd been keeping the PDA to a minimum all night. "Good. How many do you want?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Five, ten, a basketball team…"

"Okay, I know for a fact you're not thinking about the kids, only the making of them," she protested. "I know my family's big and all but I'm not having ten kids."

He smiled and brushed his lips along her forehead. "Okay," he whispered. "I don't mind, honestly," he murmured into her ear.

She rested a hand on his chest and moved the other one around to slide into the back pocket of his jeans, feeling his firm bottom beneath the denim material. "Okay. Do you want a big family?"

He nodded, his cheek pressed against hers. "Yeah. I love my parents to death but I grew up alone. I know I had Kels but it's not the same. You were surrounded by brothers. I know they drive you crazy but you've told me tons of times that they mean everything to you."

"They've got some competition now," she murmured flirtatiously.

He smiled as he pressed a kiss to her neck. "No competition for you."

Gabriella smiled to herself and closed her eyes at the peace that was surrounding them – they were at the far end of the yard, where Troy first told her they could live together. "You want to go the cabin after this shindig is over?" she whispered into his ear.

"Can't wait," he murmured into her skin.

They suddenly broke apart at the sound of a throat clearing. Hannah woke up at Troy's sudden movement and started crying, causing Troy to quickly start soothing her. Gabriella flushed a deep crimson at the sight of her oldest brother standing their, smirking at them. "Hi, Danny," she said, getting quieter with each syllable.

He nodded once. "Hi Bella," he waved at her. "You guys want to go to a hotel or upstairs…behind a bush?"

"Danny!" Gabriella exclaimed. "I distinctly remember, when I was twelve, I heard banging coming from your room." She poked her tongue out.

He stepped towards Troy and took his daughter off him. "I'll take her away from you. Real mature. I'll take her inside…away from you guys." He shook his head and walked away.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I cannot believe that! Can you?"

He smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her. "Baby, calm down. I need you to meet my family." He glanced around and saw the majority of the occupants of the yard were Latinos. "There's a lot less Boltons', though."

"There's going to be one more," she murmured.

He suddenly picked her up and spun her around. "Future Mrs Bolton." He grinned.

She giggled as he set her back on the ground. She bit her lip. "Yeah…"

"You okay?" Troy asked worriedly.

She nodded, a distant look appearing on her face. "I can't wait for our own place. We won't have to go to Shar's cabin to make love."

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her towards his family. "You're right. But, I don't know when that'll be. Brie, I'd like to introduce you to my family: that's Grandpa and Grandma Bolton, Grandpa and Grandma Harkness, Uncle Mike, Auntie Lynn and that's my cousin, Shane."

Gabriella nodded slowly. "If I can remember my nieces and nephews, your family will be a breeze."

"Yeah, yeah," Troy muttered, stepping forward to embrace Mike, Jack's younger brother.

Lynn rolled her eyes and stepped towards Gabriella. "Hi. So, let's see how much my nephew spent on you."

Gabriella held her left hand out, admiring the sparkling ring. "I know it's not much but I love it. If only because he gave it to me."

"She better love it, it cost me my college tuition," Troy muttered, thinking only Mike would hear.

Gabriella raised her eyebrows.

Mike was laughing but it trailed off when he saw Gabriella and Lynn. He coughed and then kicked Troy in the shin. "Dude!"

Troy turned around and grinned. "Not that you're not worth it."

She scowled. "Watch it, Mister. There are still those Californian men."

He slowly walked over to her and enveloped her in a hug she quickly responded to. "You know fully well you're worth everything."

"Man, when did you get so love sick?" Mike exclaimed.

Jack just laughed. "I have no idea. I never pictured him being this whipped."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know I've lost all of my masculinity since everyone found out about Brie."

Gabriella giggled. "Anyway, it's so nice to meet you all."

Lucille's mother, Olive, smiled gently. "Your grandmothers and Marge and I were having a wonderful time."

"Yeah, putting the world to rights," Lucille muttered.

Olive slapped her daughter. "Just because you're a mother yourself doesn't mean you won't be punished."

Troy laughed. "We'll just leave you to it."

Lynn pulled Gabriella into a hug. "It was great meeting you. We'll talk about my nephew another time, okay?"

Gabriella nodded. "I'd like that." She took Troy's hand and allowed him to pull her into the house and up the stairs. She didn't question him but followed him willingly, already knowing she'd enjoy herself because he was with her.

Troy pulled her into her bedroom and shut her door, pushing her up against it. "Do you trust me?"

Her eyes flickered from his eyes to his lips and she nodded. "Of course. Why would I marry you if I don't trust you?"

He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Believe me, if I walked into East High and yelled that I wanted to get married, I'd find someone."

She smiled and nodded. "I know. But I do trust you."

He pressed a firm kiss to her lips. He pulled back and smiled and turned to their room. When Troy had officially moved in, there had been a few arguments between Troy and Gabriella about where their stuff would go. The arguments were soon solved when they had heard the front door slam and they'd fallen onto the bed and were soon frantically making love, attempting to prove the other wrong. As it was, as soon as they'd laid side by side breathless, Troy had wrapped an arm around Gabriella's stomach, pulling her closer to him. He'd told her that he hated it when she was mad and that it had been her room originally, anyway.

Troy headed over to her stereo and began searching through the CDs. "Your nieces and nephews are sweet."

"Uh-huh," Gabriella murmured, wandering over to the bed and suddenly remembering their solution to their arguments. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she recalled the way she'd reacted to everything. It made her wonder if that was what their future would be like. If it was, she wasn't complaining.

"You okay?" Troy asked as he selected a CD and began skipping through the tracks.

Gabriella turned to him. "Yeah. Can I ask what you're doing? We left our friends and family celebrate our engagement downstairs without us."

Troy chuckled and nodded. "I know. Your favourite song of all time is 'I'll Be' by Edwin McCain, right?"

"Always will be," she murmured, sitting down on the bed. "Why?"

Troy pressed play and chords that were remarkably familiar to Gabriella filled the room. He strode over to her and extended his hand. "May I have this dance?"

She blushed prettily and accepted his hand, nodding her head in acceptance. As she rested one hand on his shoulder and held one of his hands with her other, she looked deeply into his cerulean eyes. "I suppose you should warn me: can you dance?"

He nodded. "I have a composer as a best friend and when we started high school, Tay forced Chad, Jase and I into lessons, using the 'girls like dancers' excuse to convince us."

Gabriella giggled. "Well, I'd love you if you were the worst dancer on Earth."

He smiled. "Good."

"Wildcat, what would you say if I told you I was pregnant?" she asked quietly as they swayed together.

He frowned. "Are you?"

"No," she exclaimed quickly. "My dad would murder the pair of us if I got pregnant before we got married. It was bad enough when he found out we'd made love before marriage. I was curious."

He smiled gently and held her closer, pressing his cheek to hers, inhaling the sweet perfume she'd sprayed there a few hours earlier. "I would say I love you," he murmured, "and that our baby has to be beautiful with your gorgeous genes in there."

She smiled into his neck. "I love you, too. Do you think our first baby has your eyes?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "Why?"

"I fell in love with you because of your eyes," she whispered into his skin.

He chuckled. "My mom says that about my dad."

Gabriella suddenly pulled back to look him in his eyes. She frowned. "This is you."

He nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm Troy, your fiancé, remember?"

She slapped the back of his head. "No," she whispered. "This is you singing. I don't understand…"

He shrugged sheepishly. "When I was at school, I recorded this for you. Do you like it?"

She nodded frantically. "I love it. I didn't know you could sing like this!"

He chuckled. "I'm glad you like it."

She bit her lip. "Can this be our first dance?"

He smiled and kissed her gently. "I'd like that."

* * *

Later that evening, Gabriella and Troy sat on the grass outside in the backyard with Gabriella's siblings and her nieces and nephews.

"I'd say that went pretty well." Landon said from his place between Eddie and Danny.

Eddie nodded before looking down at his wife in his arms, "Yeah, Troy, you got lucky. I remember we got quizzed and lectured on how we treated our women when they first met the family. Do you know how embarrassing it is for you to have to listen to your grandparents telling you how love isn't easy and how if we were serious they were expecting some new little ones around? It was so humiliating."

Gabriella just smiled to herself as she listened to her brothers interact with Troy while she lay silently on the ground, half asleep, her head resting in Troy's lap as he ran his fingers slowly and carefully through her luscious dark locks. "I'm just thankful everyone accepted us because I know how much it meant to Gabi having her family's acceptance."

"I really hate admitting this but I've honestly never seen her as happy and content as she is right now," Danny admitted, holding his wife, Leanne, in his arms while looking at Gabriella.

Landon snickered. "He's more whipped than she is. I swear he has no control in their relationship and it's our sister that wears the pants there."

Gabriella rolled her eyes under her closed lids hearing Landon's words. "Yeah well I'd rather have her and be whipped than not at all."

When no one spoke, Carl spoke after remaining quiet for a while. "I guess that's now two things then we Knights and Montez' have taken, the Championship and the Wildcat captain's heart."

Troy glared at his fiancée's twin and the one Montez sibling he had grown very close to. "Just because you won the Championship when I was at a very low point doesn't mean you could beat me at my best."

Everyone laughed as the playful banter continued as the sun finally set and night came. Troy looked down at the woman sleeping in his arms and knew that everything would be okay.


	29. We'll be fine

**A/N: Sorry it took so long. I've been busy and I'm pretty sure HSMandChelseaFCfan has been, too. Last chapter before epilogue :( I don't know how long the epilogue will take. I want to talk to HSMandChelseaFCfan about the epilogue.**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

"Baby Brie," a voice murmured as two lips attached themselves to Gabriella's neck.

She groaned and pushed him away. She rolled over, away from Troy. "Go away."

Troy chuckled. "Let me kiss you."

"Don't wanna," she muttered. "Sleepy."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Okay," he whispered. "Let me hold you."

She sighed. "You're not supposed to be here," she murmured.

"I can't stay away." He kissed her hair.

She groaned and turned in his arms to face him. She couldn't open her eyes but leaned forward and kissed whatever part of his face she came into contact with which was the corner of his mouth. "I'm graduating tomorrow," she muttered as she snaked her arms around him and snuggled into him, burying her face into his neck.

He ran his hands over her back, feeling her body that he'd missed in just the few hours they'd been apart. "So am I," he whispered.

"We said we'd spend the night apart so we wouldn't be rushing in the morning." She pulled back and her eyes fluttered open.

He smirked. "Do you really think I'd abide by that?"

She giggled tiredly. "I guess not. I missed you."

He kissed her sweetly. "I missed you, too. You have to make a speech, right? Because you're valedictorian."

She nodded against his neck. He'd obviously stripped down to his boxers before he'd got into her bed and the comforter was acting as a barrier between them. They'd decided for Blitzen to stay with Gabriella and Daisy and the two dogs were still curled up in the corner, fast asleep. "Yeah," she murmured. "You, too?"

He kissed her hair. "Yeah."

"Will you think of me?" she asked quietly.

He pulled her closer and sighed gently into her ear. "Of course. You?"

She giggled softly under her breath. "You know I will."

Troy pressed a kiss to her temple and then another to her forehead. He trailed kisses over the curve of her cheek until he connected their lips in a sweet, tender caress of lips. He rolled them over until he was straddling her and running his hands hurriedly up and down her sides. Their tongues battled passionately together as they released the pent up love that had built up from just a couple of hours apart. They were struggling to breathe but couldn't part. They knew they would get way too loud and they were enjoying the physical contact too much.

Troy eventually pulled back and trailed his kisses down to her slender neck. He sucked and nibbled gently on her skin as he listened to her moans and whimpers that she was desperately trying to muffle. The last week had been simply fantastic. After the engagement party, they had gone over to Sharpay's cabin and had made love. It had been the first week Troy and Gabriella had been living together and it had gone wonderfully. Troy, Greg, Carl, Zeke and Landon spent a lot of their time playing basketball together and they were getting on better as well. Of course, Troy had to spend some time with Jack and Lucille and would go over to his house straight after school to hang out with his parents and friends.

His hands wandered down her sides to slide underneath his shirt. She pushed his hands away as she struggled to calm her breathing. "Troy, we can't," she whispered.

Troy stopped his ministrations and sighed against her collarbone. He wasn't angry or annoyed…he was proud. Even when they the house was occupied but silent, the occupants sleeping, and they were halfway to making love, she wouldn't. He knew that had their graduation not been in the morning, they would've been on their way to Sharpay's cabin. However, they were graduating and he knew they didn't have time for that. He also knew that she wasn't willing to jeopardise the trust that she and Greg had rebuilt.

He pressed a final kiss to her neck and propped himself up on his elbows. "I know. It was worth a shot, though," he added cheekily.

She stroked his hair. "You know I'd willingly make love to you but I don't want to get caught."

Troy suddenly shuddered. "Being caught by your dad…that's good enough contraception, thank you very much."

"He's not that bad now. He's loosened up a bit," she defended.

He smiled softly. "I know. Do you think I can join you under these covers?"

She nodded and pulled the covers back. She welcomed Troy's loving embrace when he climbed under the covers and snuggled into him. "Why do our graduations have to be on the same day at the same time?"

Troy rubbed her arm that was draped over his stomach. "I don't know."

She sighed gently, allowing her eyes to flutter shut. "I really love you, Troy," she murmured.

"Wow. We've never said that before," he murmured sarcastically.

She giggled tiredly. "Hmmmm…"

"And I love you, too," he whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"Have you thought about who your best man is going to be?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I have. Chad. I could've asked Jason but-"

"Why don't you ask them both?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"You're okay with that?" he asked in amazement.

She nodded. "I know they both mean a lot to you. But," she warned, "don't lose the rings."

Troy gasped in shock. "Would we do that?"

"I've met Chad and Jason and bundle both of them with you and getting ready…Yeah, you would," she exclaimed. "And you're having your bachelor party two weeks before our wedding."

"Shouldn't it be the night before?" he asked slowly.

"And risk having the groom and two groomsmen stumble in late with hangovers? No," she muttered.

He rolled his eyes. "Nice to know you have faith in us. What about you? You thought about your maid of honour?"

She raised her eyebrows.

"Sharpay," he realised.

"Yeah," she whispered. "She's like my sister. When we met, it was so refreshing. I mean, we were five years old when we met. To be honest, I was scared of her. She was so…pink. But, then we started talking and we've been best friends ever since."

Troy kissed her temple. "Yeah." He chuckled lowly. "I don't blame you for being scared."

She glared. "Shut up." She settled back into his embrace and sighed against him. "Are you and your parents still coming back here after graduation?"

He nodded. "Of course. Now, get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us. Sweet dreams, baby Brie."

"Sweet dreams, Wildcat," she murmured sleepily.

* * *

Gabriella looked in the floor length mirror and sighed as she smoothed the skirt of her white summer dress. Troy had left after her alarm had gone off, leaving enough time for both of them to show and dress. She'd decided on a spaghetti strap white summer dress. It had lace across the chest and then flowed out towards just above her knees. Her hair was arranged in a messy bun with a few strands framing her face. She had decided on a silver pair of small stiletto heels that gave her a few extra inches but not much.

She walked over to her bed and pulled on her blue graduation gown. She draped the gold band over her shoulders and finally walked over to her mirror to place her cap on her head. It was weird. She was leaving West High for good. It wasn't just a three week programme that she'd just return to West High. She had to grow up and fend for herself…and Troy. What if she wasn't ready? What if she failed? What if she couldn't make it as a doctor? Sure, she was smart but, she wasn't going to be the freaky genius girl, anymore. There were going to be people just as, if not more, smart as she was.

But, she knew one thing: Troy was with her. No matter what happened, she knew that Troy was behind her and so was Greg and Carl and all of her family. That's what was giving her strength. She knew that she had people who loved her.

Her phone suddenly started ringing on her dresser and she walked over to pick it up. "Troy Bolton, you're supposed to be getting ready."

"I am," he defended. "I'm waiting for my mom, Kels and Kels' mom."

"Oh," she whispered. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah. I wish you could be with me," he mumbled.

She sighed. "Me too."

"You nervous?" Troy asked.

"Gabriella," Maria called.

Gabriella made her way out of her room and down the stairs towards the lounge where her parents, brothers and Zeke were gathered. Zeke and Carl were wearing their own blue graduation gowns. "Beyond. This speech is driving me crazy. You know, I should've run through it before today."

"You could've ran through it with me," he suggested.

"You would've said it was good, regardless!" she exclaimed.

"Gabi, we want to take pictures," Greg said, waving his camera at her.

Gabriella sighed regretfully. "I have to go. I love you."

Carl snatched the phone off her. "I love you, too, Bolton."

"Aw, that's so sweet, Carl. Love you, too," Troy replied.

Gabriella snatched it back. "Carl, I hate you." She held her phone to her ear. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll see you later, okay?" Troy asked.

"You better. I'll miss you."

"Bye, baby," he whispered before they hung up. Gabriella set her phone on the coffee table and sighed. "Well, come on. Let's do these pictures."

Carl stood by her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "We made it, sis."

She looked up at him. Beneath his blue graduation gown, he was wearing a white button up shirt, black dress trousers and a blue and yellow tie. It was unusual to see him in such smart attire. "Yeah, we did." She turned back to the camera and smiled widely.

Greg held the camera up but then frowned and lowered it, keeping his eyes on his youngest children.

"Dad?" Gabriella asked. "You okay?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah. It's just my baby girl shouldn't be old enough to graduate high school."

She sighed. "Daddy, we've been over this."

He smiled. "I know."

They took pictures of Carl and Gabriella together, with Zeke, and finally with all of the Montez brothers joining them. They set off from the Montez household and headed to West High.

* * *

"And now, Gabriella Montez, valedictorian," the principal introduced.

Gabriella walked up onto the stage in all her blue glory and stood at the podium. "Well, Knights, we finally made it. We're even taking the championship with us."

"Yeah!" Carl yelled out.

"Thank you, Carl," she muttered, making the audience chuckle.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

She shrugged. "High school was tough for a lot of us. I know it was tough for me. There were so many expectations because of my brothers. They set high standards because of their basketball. But, I beat them because I actually got passed a B." The audience chuckled again. "But, that didn't stop me from enjoying my time here. I'll look back and smile at my four years at West High. I've made some really awesome friends that I know will never leave me. I got through West High with my brothers, Carl's best friend, Zeke, and my sister, Sharpay. I couldn't have got through it without them.

She took a deep breath. "I know I let a lot of you down because I went behind your back to be with Troy Bolton and I'm sorry. I feel terrible, honestly. But, my daddy has finally let us be together and if he can do it, so can everybody else. I love Troy Bolton with all of my heart and I always will. And I hope you'll all someday find someone like that." Her eyes sought out Sharpay and Zeke, Carl and Stacy and finally Greg and Maria. "So, let us graduate in glory. We got the championship, we overcame so many problems: fights with wildcats, exams, being broken up with, my brothers kicking the guy's butts for hurting me...and me. But, remember, once a Knight...always a Knight."

The audience stood up and applauded Gabriella as she walked towards the principal, shook his hand and received her diploma. She moved the tassel of her cap to the other side and descended the steps so she could mingle with everyone who was congratulating their friends and family. She weaved her way through the crowd, receiving 'good speech, Montez' from various people on the way, towards Carl, Stacy, Ryan, Martha, Zeke and Sharpay. "Hey, guys."

Carl hugged her immediately. "Well done, Bells. You were great."

She pulled back and smiled at him. "Thanks, Carl." She hugged Ryan, Martha, Zeke and Stacy and then turned to Sharpay. "Sisters?"

"Forever," she giggled as they embraced.

"We finally made it, Shar," Gabriella muttered. "By the way, I want you to be my maid of honour."

Sharpay suddenly pulled back and squealed so loud, everyone fell quiet. "Are you serious?"

"Would I ask anyone else?" Gabriella asked.

"I'm Gabriella's maid of honour!" she yelled excitedly before the two friends embraced again.

Gabriella suddenly felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her dress and pulled it out, sliding it up. "Hey, Wildcat,"

"Hi, baby. Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked softly.

"Beyond. It's so amazing. I wish you were here," she whispered.

"Your wish is my command," he murmured.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"Turn around," he commanded gently.

Gabriella slowly turned around and smiled in disbelief at Troy standing there in his red graduation gown. She slid her phone shut and returned it to her pocket as she made her way through the crowd and looked up at him in amazement. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I thought I'd surprise my beautiful fiancé. I wanted to hear your speech."

"How was yours?"

He sighed. "Nothing interesting." He wrapped his arms around her and winked. "Now I get to look forward to the greatest adventure of all with you by my side."

"What's that?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"The future," he whispered before he watched her eyes fluttered shut. He leaned down and kissed her softly in amongst the crowd of celebrating West High graduates.

* * *

"Cheers!" everyone chorused as they clinked their champagne glasses together.

Gabriella looked around at the people surrounding her: Greg, Maria, Jack, Lucille, Carl and Troy. Landon was staying at his girlfriend's house and the rest of her brothers had gone back to their families. Zeke's parents had surprised him by returning from their cruise. She sighed softly looked up at Troy. "You know what this means don't you?"

"What?" Lucille asked.

Gabriella pulled Carl towards her and giggled. "We're the future of the country."

"What have we let ourselves in for?" Maria asked, rolling her eyes.

Carl chuckled. "I could be the president."

The room fell silent.

"Okay, so that's a negative. I can dream, can't I?" I exclaimed.

Gabriella sighed. "My brother, ladies and gentlemen. It's hard to believe we have the same genes."

"At least I didn't fall for a Bolton," he sneered.

"I'm glad you didn't, otherwise you've got to come out of the closet so...there!" Gabriella exclaimed before she and Carl poked their tongues out at each other.

"Once again: the future of our country," Greg muttered.

Gabriella sighed. "Well, you can laugh but I'll be saving lives like Mama."

Troy pulled her closer. "And you'll do great." He kissed her temple.

She blushed deeply and looked at the floor. "Thank you."

Troy suddenly set his glass on the bookshelf behind him and took Gabriella's off her, too. "Come on, Brie."

"What? Where are we going?" she asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "Brie..."

"Oh," she muttered before she turned to her family. "Daddy?"

Greg sighed. "Go ahead."

Gabriella disentangled herself from Troy and kissed his cheek. "Te amo, Daddy."

"Te amo, mi hija." He smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

Gabriella slipped her hand into Troy's and allowed him to pull her out of the house. She immediately shivered in the cooling evening air. "Troy," she whined, "can't we just go up to my room?"

He shook his head. "No." He pulled Gabriella towards his truck and lifted her up onto the hood. "I needed to be alone with you," he murmured as he ran his nose up and down her throat. "We've been surrounded all day."

"We graduated. Can you blame them?" she whispered.

He pulled back to look in her eyes. "I guess not. But, it didn't stop my mind wandering."

She gasped. "Troy!"

He groaned, pressing his cheek against hers and wrapping his arms around her. "Sue me."

She sighed. "I'm not a hypocrite."

He pulled back in shock. "Miss Montez!"

She rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, it's shocking that the innocent Gabriella Montez had thoughts about my future husband's body."

He smirked. "Well, how about we try to fix that?" He took her down from the hood and took her hand. He pulled the door open and brought out a pillow and some blankets.

Gabriella laughed. "What are you doing?"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the end of the bed. He helped Gabriella onto the bed of the truck and then threw the pillow and blankets in after her. He climbed into the bed and gathered her into his arms. "I want to watch the stars."

"That's incredibly random," she murmured as Troy set pillow against the corner of the bed and lay down. He got comfy and opened his arms. She sighed and lay down next to him, resting her head on his chest. She draped an arm over his stomach as Troy pulled the blankets over them. "This is nice."

"Yeah," he whispered. "It is."

"Peaceful," she murmured.

"Yeah," he whispered. "It is."

She sighed and leant up on one hand to look down on him. "Okay, what's on your mind? You don't drag me away from my family for anything, even to be alone. What's up?"

He stroked her cheek. "I wanted you to know that we'll be okay."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss him. "We will. I know. We'll be fine." She kissed him one last time before settling into his arms. She felt him kiss her head as they looked up at the stars together. "Did you know that stars are suns billions of light years away? They're not that close at all."

"Wow," he whispered. "Makes you think twice about how insignificant we are when compares to the rest of the universe."

"No to me," she whispered. "You're...you're my world, my everything."

"You're my entire life," he agreed.

They were silent for a moment before she suddenly pointed at a star that was shining brighter than the others. "That's Venus. It's the only planet in the solar system to be named after a woman. Venus was Aphrodite's roman name. She was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility."

"Well, that's basically you in the form of a star, right?" he mumbled.

"You're such a charmer. But, I think it's you, too," she whispered as she leaned her head back to look at him. "We'll be fine."


	30. Epilogue

**A/N: Grab the tissues! It's the end. Aw! So sad. NO SEQUEL!!!! HSMandChelseaFCfan is super busy so I don't think we'll be co-writing in the near future but I still owe her a lot for helping me with this and simply putting up with my impatience and moaning when my life seemed screwed. So, thank you :)**

**Anyway, without further ado...enjoy :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

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Epilogue

A light autumnal evening breeze swayed the few crispen leaves that remained on the trees in the backyard. The male sat on the back patio swing chair enjoying the peaceful surroundings he was currently in. It was rare for him to take time to enjoy moments like this; in fact it was rare if he found time in his hectic life for moments like this. Not that he would change his life for anything. In his whole thirty years of living, he couldn't remember ever feeling so content with the way his life was turning out.

***

Summer had passed and before long, Troy and Gabriella found themselves moving away to California, Gabriella to Stanford and Troy to Berkley. After having pratically been living together back in Albuquerque, the young couple were now thinking that may have been a bad idea since being away from each other was painful. Sure they'd spoken to each other constantly and their fellow dormmates all seemed like normal, friendly people but there was an ache in their hearts at being seperated.

As time passed in their first year, it slowly got easier but it never got any less hard whenever they had to say goodbye after spending time together. Things were made worse, however, once basketball season started for Troy as the very limited time they found to spend together became even more restricted. Gabriella tried to get to Berkley whenever she could if they knew Troy had been selected in the team. Being a first year, it was rare for anyone to get picked very often for the main team but Troy seemed to fast becoming one of their up and coming rising stars. And this made it impossible for Gabrilela to cheer Troy on at all his home games. Not that he minded because he knew she would try her best to be there when she could.

By the end of their first year, everyone who knew the couple were amazed they'd made it through the first year without living with each other. Six months ago it would have been a sure bet that they'd both fail their first years without being together twenty four seven. Thankfully all their friends had successfully passed their first years too allowing everyone to spend their summer catching up with friends and family.

Before heading back to California at the end of their summer, Troy and Gabriella were given quite the surprise. Their parents had found them a small apartment that was conveiniently located in the middle of Stanford and Berkley.

"Are you guys serious?" Troy exclaimed in pure shock.

Jack Bolton and Greg Montez just laughed at their children's reactions. "We saw how hard it has been for you guys and as long as you two contribute towards the upkeep of the apartment, we're happy to help pay for it."

A nineteen year old Gabriella twisted out of Troy's embrace and ran into her father's arms. "Thank you, Daddy, Mr Bolton."

"Just one rule that we want to reinforce." The young couple turned to Jack. "Still way too early for any grandkids."

Gabriella rolled her eyes while Troy shook his head before trying to move away from the obvious statement his father had made seconds ago. "So, when can we move in?"

***

Weeks passed and before anyone knew it, Troy and Gabriella were finally settled into their new apartment. They'd spent the last few weeks getting it decorated to their own taste and moving in their belongings. Their parents had been pretty good with letting the couple do things their way rather than trying to interfere too much. Carl and the rest of their friends had all been around to help out when they could because it also gave them all chance to catch up.

"I still can't believe you guys are going to be living together. I mean pratically every hour you two have free, I just know you'll be at it like rabbits; this is just easy access for you both. And definitely plenty of new areas to try out," Chad commented as the girls scoffed as his comment.

Carl choked and glared at the bushy haired male from his place to the side of him where he was leaning against the back of the sofa. "Dude, that's my sister you're talking about." He pushed Chad's shoulder, knocking him down into one of the sofas.

"Ok, time for you to all go. We really appreciated all your help but now it's time for us to enjoy this place alone. Plus if you miss your flight home then we'll be stuck with you all." Troy tried hurrying them out the door as Gabriella gave him a secret smirk knowing it had been a long two weeks since they had any proper time alone together. Their parents had returned home the previous day and now it was time for all the others to go.

Sharpay moved around Troy and went to hug her best friend. "You better call me soon and inform me on everything and let me know how you're getting on living with him twenty-four seven."

Gabriella laughed. "I will do. And you better promise me that you'll try not to kill Chad or Carl on the journey home."

The blonde smirked. "I don't make promises I can't be certain to keep."

"Bye, Shar." After exchanging farewells with everyone, Gabriella collapsed next to Troy on their soft new sofa.

"Welcome home, baby," Troy murmured.

"I can't believe we're finally sorted and living on our own. This is definitely so much better than living in dorms on campus with only weekend visits every now and then and it's even better still than when we were living together with our parents." Gabriella tilted her head to look at him.

Troy placed a gentle kiss a top of his finace's head as he looked down at her lovingly. "Just you and me."

"Forever and always."

"Now, how about we follow tradition and christen each and every room, fully." Gabriella gigged in delight as Troy climbed above her, a knowing glint present in his eyes that was just about obvious under all the love that was shining through.

***

"Somebody's deep in thought." Troy smiled hearing the angelic voice appear from behind him. His wife of seven years wrapped her tanned arms around his shoulders while he brought her hands up to his lips and placed a delicate kiss on them.

"Just enjoying the silence. Where are the kids?" Troy pulled Gabriella round so she could sit down next to him.

Gabriella rested her head on his shoulder; the two could cuddling up together, enjoying the rare opportunity to do so without being interrupted. "The grandparents called to say they got a bit delayed but will have our kids back to us sometime tonight."

"Wow you mean we have the whole house to ourselves?!" Gabriella laughed at her husband's comment. "Why is it I don't feel like I want to move from this position then?"

"Because you know you're just too comfy a pillow to want to disturb your lovely wife."

Troy rolled his eyes as he drifted back off into thought.

His life now was so much more different than anyone would have every imagined it would be. For a start, he wasn't living in some multi-million dollar mansion that most people expected; instead he lived in a modest four bedroom house in their hometown of Albuquerque, right in the middle of the west and east sides of town. He hadn't become the international superstar everyone knew he could have been, not that he didn't have the chance to.

***

Hanging up the phone, he knew that the answer he'd given was the right one. He didn't need time to think about the offer because he knew what he would lose if he took it up. For him, the brunette in front of him was not only his true love but she was his life. The thought of having to spend even a day without her was too much to even think about.

"Who was that?" she asked from her position on the couch, a book spread open in her lap and a pair of small reading glasses perched on her nose.

Troy shrugged. "No one important."

"Troy," Gabriella said in a serious tone, knowing he was hiding something. She shut her book and took her glasses off, setting them both on the coffee table as she stood up to walk over to him. She held his hands in hers. "Tell me."

"Mr Simms," he muttered as if it wasn't anybody important.

Gabriella's eyes widened. "You mean the Mr Simms who you saw the other day after your game with the guys? The one who wanted to meet up with you to arrange a trial for you?" she asked excitedly.

Troy shrugged as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah."

"What did he want?" she asked excitedly, practically jumping up and down from enthusiasm.

"He just said he wanted to arrange a meeting to see if we could come to some sort of an agreement for the basis of a pre-contract with the Lakers if I did well at the trial," he replied, deadpan, as Gabriella's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious? Troy, this is huge. This could finally be your big break," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

Troy shook his head. "I turned him down."

"You did what now?" Gabriella asked in shock as she pulled back from him.

"I turned him down. Gabi, you and our daughter mean the world to me. I'm not leaving. I'm so happy just coaching at East High," he explained seriously, his blue eyes unwavering from her mocha ones.

Gabriella interrupted him. "But this is your dream. You could get the chance to show the world your talent, baby. You know we'd support you everywhere you go because we're your family. I don't want you to regret this decision."

"Gabi, stop trying to push me into this. It's almost like you want me to be this big shot. Is it because you're not proud that I'm just stuck coaching at some high school and I'm not doing what everyone thinks I should be? Are you ashamed of me?" Troy yelled, stepping closer to her as Gabriella glared at him.

"You know it's nothing like that. I love you and I'll never be ashamed of you. I just want you to have what you deserve," she cried.

Troy could see she was close to tears as his anger continued growing. "Well, I've made my decision and it's final. If you can't deal with that then that's your problem."

Storming towards the door, Gabriella grabbed his arm before he could walk away. "Don't walk away from me, Troy Bolton. We're not done here."

"Yes. We. Are," Troy hissed as he tried to keep his anger under control. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so angry or even why he felt this way right now. Sure, they'd had their fair share of disagreements but not to this level. Troy had never raised his voice at her before. They glared fiercely at each other, their chests rising and falling unnaturally. Before either could comprehend what was happening, Troy pinned Gabriella up against the wall and was ferociously kissing her as their anger boiled over within each other.

***

Troy laughed at the memory. That night was the night the couple conceived their second child. When their passion had finally died down and after apologies were given, both realised that through their anger they'd forgotten all about their daughter and were just grateful she hadn't been at home that night and had been staying with Gabriella's parents because it would have no doubt scared her because it scared both of them how frustrated they could get. Troy knew that the decision he made that day was one he never regretted because it had meant he could be around everyday and watch his kids grow up; a dream that not even basketball could replace.

Troy rubbed Gabriella's arm and kissed her temple. He knew that Gabriella was still, to this day, sceptical about the choice he made but he stuck to it. What could compare to waking up every morning to the beauty that was in his arms right now? If there was anything, he was curious as to what it was. His life maybe wasn't what he'd been planning, but it was much better than that.

"What's funny?" Gabriella asked quietly, tracing invisible patterns on Troy's still muscular chest.

"Thinking about when Drake happened," he mumbled quietly.

She released an uncontrollable giggle. "I still think you're crazy."

"Why?" he asked seriously. "Because I love you so much I can't bear to be away from you?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She sighed and sat up. It wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation but she couldn't help it. "I still don't get that, to be honest. I didn't get it twelve years ago and I'm none the wiser now."

He stroked her cheek and frowned at her. "Now, don't start talking insanities. You're the super smart, beautiful girl who went to Stanford. I'm just...nothing. What can I do, really? I can shoot a free throw and chest pass to other players and be voted MVP for three consecutive seasons but...what else?"

She considered this. "Well, you're nice, funny, caring, honest, charming..." she trailed a hand down his arm, "handsome, talented, a singer, guitarist...and you know when something's wrong."

He smiled across at her, certain that the same memory had just occurred to her as well.

* * *

A twenty three year old Troy let out another frustrated grunt as he lifted the king sized mattress of his and Gabriella's bed up. He took a quick glance before realising that his notes for the theory lesson he was teaching at East High the following day could not have possibly snuck under the mattress. How he had come to conclude they'd be in the bedroom, anyway? He had started in his office but that was a disaster area, anyway. It wasn't surprising it was lost. The thought that he had got through high school, much less college, was surprising to himself as much as everybody else.

He ran a hand through his hair. It just _had_ to be in here. It couldn't be anywhere else, could it? Kitchen? Nothing lasted two seconds in the kitchen he shared with Gabriella, even though it was his fault. Den? Nah. Not possible. Neither he or Gabriella took work into the den.

Speaking of Gabriella, where was she? She had been sick the past week and he had ordered her to lie on the sofa in the den, drinking plenty of water, snuggled in one of his shirts and a comforter and watching _A Walk To Remember_. But, he doubted she would be. She had been complaining that this needed cleaning or that needed washing. But, he didn't want her straining herself.

He shook the thoughts from his head. Thinking about his wife in the bedroom surely wasn't smart. They graduated college together and moved back to Albuquerque buying a small house slap bang in the middle of Albuquerque. They had got married a year ago and they were simply ecstatic with their life.

Troy walked to the Gabriella's side and pulled open the top drawer and rummaged through a few books and papers before realising his plans weren't there. His theory was that Gabriella could've found them and put them in her cabinet. He pulled the second drawer open and, once again, moved a few books and papers...and froze.

Six white sticks looked up at him. He tentatively reached in and picked one out, slowly turning it over. Positive. He reached in and quickly consulted the other five. Positive. Gabriella was pregnant. That was...amazing. He was going to be a dad. He was a father...with Gabriella. His wife.

He needed her.

He ran out of the room, still holding the pregnancy tests, and towards the den. He groaned to himself. The DVD was paused and the sofa was empty. "Brie?"

"In here," a quiet voice called back.

Troy headed towards her office, the six pregnancy tests in his hand, and pushed the door open. Gabriella was curled up in the far corner, behind her desk, hugging her knees to her chest with Troy's shirt pulled over them. She looked up at him and his heart broke.

Her cheeks were streaked with tears and she was trembling. She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes and she reached up to brush a tangled lock of hair away from her face. "Hi," she sniffled.

Troy rushed over to her, successfully hiding the pregnancy tests from her line of view, and sat down next to her, pulling her into his loving embrace. He kissed her head and sighed softly. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"You'll hate me," she muttered into his shoulder.

He rubbed her back soothingly and glanced at the pregnancy tests. "No. That's not true and you know it. What's wrong?" He pulled back and brushed some hair from her face. He looked deeply into her mocha eyes and leaned forward to kiss her softly.

She pulled back and wiped her nose with the back of her eyes. She wasn't exactly the image of femininity at the minute but she was still gorgeous to Troy. She stretched her tanned legs out in front of her and she sighed. "I...oh, I don't know what I'm doing. I should've told you."

He kept his arm around her shoulders and he kissed her just behind her ear. "Come on, Baby. Just tell me."

She took a shaky breath and looked him in the eye. "Troy, remember when you went to Stanford for the last week of the honours programme? When you won me back?"

Troy nodded, his face serious. "How could I not? You were amazing."

She smiled weakly. "We talked about kids one day and starting a family."

He nodded again. "Yeah?" He had to force himself not to just yell out in happiness right that second.

"Well," she whispered, "I'm pregnant."

"I know," he exclaimed excitedly as he leaned forward and kissed her passionately, pushing her down so that they were both lying on the soft carpet of her office.

She pushed him back from the kiss and looked up at him with a confused expression. "What?"

He held his hand up, showing her the tests. He set them off to the side and turned back to her, looking down on her lovingly. "I was looking for my lesson plans, which I still haven't found," he muttered absently.

"On my desk," she interrupted. "You gave them to me to look over, remember?"

"Oh," he muttered. "Your office didn't occur to me. Oh well. And I thought they could be in your bedside cabinet because I was running out of theories. I found the tests."

She nodded. "I did them two weeks ago. My period was late. So I got three sets of tests, two tests in a set. All positive. Then I went to the hospital for them to just confirm it." She shrugged. "I just...I don't know why I didn't tell you."

Troy's hands wandered to the hem of his shirt she was wearing. "It's okay." He pulled it slowly over her head and stared down at her. "I bet you'll never be able to work in this office ever again."

"Yes I will. You're forgetting that we christened our first apartment and this house the same way. If it was going to affect me, don't you think it would've by now?" she asked.

His hands slipped behind her to unclasp her bra. "Maybe," he murmured. "I love you so much." He moved down her body and pressed light kisses to her stomach. "And I love you, too, baby Bolton."

* * *

"I don't know why you're laughing," Gabriella protested. "I was scared."

He chuckled. "I know you were. You didn't have to be. But, you know that now, seven years later. And Allie takes after you, you know."

"She's the spitting image of you," she cried.

"Maybe physically. But, mentally? Brie, she's the smartest girl in her grade," he pointed out.

She shrugged. "It's not my fault. You just can't cope with anything that exceeds two plus two."

"Hey," he whined.

She giggled and kissed him softly. "You know I love you."

He smiled and nodded. "I know."

Just then, their two dogs, Spike and Lily, trotted into the garden to greet their owners. Sadly, Daisy had been put to sleep due to cancer in her womb and a week later, Blitzen had died in his sleep. It had been an emotional few weeks for the entire family: Troy, Gabriella, Allie and Carl. But, they had been okay because of Spike and Lily, two of Daisy's and Blitzen's puppies.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella were lying on their couch in their apartment, watching the TV during their sophomore year of college. Well, neither of them were really watching the TV. Troy was busy kissing Gabriella's neck and running his hand beneath her dress. Gabriella wasn't reacting to his acts of affection, instead, she was frowning and studying Daisy and Blitzen who were lying together on the carpet in front of the TV. Daisy was lying on her side while Blitzen was lying beside her, licking her stomach. Something didn't seem right. Daisy hadn't been her usual self lately and Gabriella had noticed that she'd been walking funny and Blitzen wasn't his usual hyper self.

Gabriella pushed Troy's hands away and crawled slowly towards Daisy. Blitzen growled protectively. She raised her eyebrows. "You think I'm scared of you? If I want to look at Daisy, I will," she warned. Blitzen whined in protest but relented. "Hey baby," she murmured to Daisy.

Troy sat up in confusion. "You pushed me away for our dogs?"

"Shhh..." Gabriella waved him off. She slowly massaged Daisy's stomach and smiled gently. "You okay, Daisy?" Daisy whined and looked over at Blitzen. A smile slowly spread across Gabriella's face. "Troy, come here, hurry," she whispered and waved her fiancé over.

Troy knelt next to her and fussed Blitzen's head. "What's up?" he whispered.

Gabriella smiled at him and took his hand, placing it over Daisy's stomach. "We're grandparents."

Troy frowned. "Really? But, you're not a vet."

She sighed. "It's not that hard to figure out. Look at her stomach. She's been walking funny and Blitzen is more protective than ever. She's pregnant."

He grinned and kissed Gabriella's cheek. "Wow." He immediately jumped at Blitzen, fussing his dog all over. Caught up in the excitement, Blitzen began licking Troy all over his face. Troy pushed him away and caught his breath. "Wow, buddy, you finally did it. You knew what to do. Who knew?"

Gabriella giggled and kissed Daisy's head. "He probably got it from his father."

* * *

Gabriella and Troy fussed both Spike and Lily. Troy stood up and stretched his stiff back muscles. He held his hands out and pulled Gabriella up, suddenly feeling the urge to kiss her. He pressed his lips sweetly to hers, sending her into a state of shock. He pulled back and smiled lovingly at her. "Hi, Mrs Bolton."

"What was that for?" she asked.

He shrugged. "The last twelve years of my life," he whispered. "It's because of you that I'm so happy and our children are so beautiful. And East and West have finally settled."

Gabriella smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yeah. I know." Tears trickled over her cheeks. "You made me so happy. And I know that I'm the luckiest girl in the world simply because you love me. That day at the park? The greatest day of my life."

"Not for me," he said thoughtfully. He chuckled at her upset face. "Every day that I get to wake up to is the greatest day of my life."


End file.
